


Coffee waft

by Kaidious



Category: D.Gray-man
Genre: Alternate Universe - After College/University, Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-26
Updated: 2019-06-12
Packaged: 2019-08-07 18:47:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 19
Words: 23,756
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16413842
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kaidious/pseuds/Kaidious
Summary: It started from the coffee shop Allen and Lenalee ran together. AU. Yullen. Possible LaviLena later.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> A greeting work, as I just newly joined AO3. The idea came out randomly. Attempt at a light/fluff story.

“Welcome! How can I help you today?” Allen chimed the professional statement with a disarming smile at the first customer since the shop’s doors opened for business.

The customer – a female with dark hair tied in braided pigtails and squared black framed spectacles – stared wide eyed at him for a good second, before blushing a little, stuttering out her order clumsily. “I-ice Americano, t-take away.”

“Ice Americano, take away,” the snowy haired eighteen-year-old boy cladded in white shirt, black pants and a brown apron with the coffee shop’s logo etched on it reiterated calmly. “That would be 6 Pounds, miss.”

The girl nodded and quickly paid her dues, promptly stepping to the side to retrieve her drink.

The next customer swiftly stepped up – and silver eyes widened just a fraction, before he berated himself and pulled his professional smile over his face.

Holy, he is hot. His mind still told him.

“Welcome! How can I help you today?” he asked once more.

Dark sapphire eyes seemed to take him in, narrowing before blandly throwing out his orders.

“Espresso double shots,” the man, wearing a simple black pullover and creamy scarf wound around his neck, said.

“Yes, Expresso double shots,” Allen repeated as he tapped the order machine deftly. “That would be 5 pounds, miss.”

A low, vicious growl resounded through the close distance, and he snapped up with a smile – secretly evil, devious, crooked, mischievous, teasing - but smile nonetheless. Anyone who saw it would think it was nothing short of professional standards. “5 pounds, _miss._ ”

“I am. Not. A. Miss,” the raven haired male hissed venomously, leaning closer to him over the counter with an unrelenting glare.

Allen just gave a nonchalant shrug, even as a part of his brain chuckled in amusement. “Oh sorry. Didn’t expect a _guy_ to have long, flowy, silky hair like yours. 5 Pounds, sir.”

There was another low noise of irritation before the long haired male clicked his tongue and handed the bill to him, accompanied with yet another deathly glare. Allen just took the crispy notes between his fingers, and returned with some change in coins, smiling all the while.

“Nice day to you.”

...

  
“Wow, Allen,” Lenalee, his best friend who he was running the coffee house with, cocked an eyebrow at him. “I didn’t know you would tease a customer like that.”

Allen chuckled softly to himself, carding his fingers through his white locks. “It’s not every day you find someone that attractive.”

His female friend giggled as if understanding his words.

“You think he might come to our shop again?” a soft question, which he had no answers for.

“Who knows,” Allen leaned back into the back of his wooden seat with sigh. “It’s our first day of operation. I wouldn’t know whether he frequents this area or not.”

“Yes, yes,” Lenalee drawled as she continued typing the remaining of their daily operation report. “But you hope he will, don’t you? I have never quite heard you talk about how attractive someone was before, ever.”

The snowy haired boy chuckled again, silver eyes flashing pointedly at the lady. Amethyst eyes blinked innocently back.

“Maybe,” he relented after a pause of silence. “But don’t make it sound as if I am desperate. I am not. You know I never quite believed in the idea of romance.”

Lenalee gave him a small smile. “Everyone says that, until they actually fall in love.”

Allen just grunted with a note of displeasure.

...

  
The next day, the very same man was the first customer who entered their small coffee shop around the turn of the main street, right upon opening at 6 a.m. in the morning.

Allen tried not to show how the raven haired male’s appearance had prominently jerked him from his sleepy state in the early hours.

“Welcome! How can I help you today?” he sing-sang a little more sharply than intended.

The male, spotting a dark chest-hugging shirt and a black jacket that day, quirked him an eyebrow, obviously noticing his excess enthusiasm. When Allen kept his perfect smile unwavering, the taller rolled his eyes before directing his gaze overhead Allen to the list of drinks written on their menu board.

“Expresso, triple shots.”

“Expresso, triple shot,” Allen reiterated calmly, before a thought struck him. “That would be 6 pounds, miss.”

Almost immediately, the raven haired was simultaneously growling incoherently and glaring menacingly. And this time, Allen failed at hiding his amusement, a mirthful chuckle escaping his lips.

  
“Oi, are you fucking _playing_ with me here?” came the eerily low voice.

The snowy haired gasped a little to stop his bubbling laughter, before shaking his head profusely, the mirth still shaking his shoulders.

“Oh, not playing,” Allen managed to rasp out as he finally found control over himself again. His fingers went promptly to tap the orders into their system as silver eyes looked up into blazing cobalt blue ones. “Just trying to compliment your looks.”

The taller male just scoffed incredulously, dark sapphire eyes dilated in a note of anger.

“How is addressing me a _girl_ a freaking compliment, moyashi?”

“Mo – what?” Allen asked, eyebrows knitting together at the foreign word.

“Che. Of course, cannot expect an idiot like you to understand other languages, can I?” The male sneered, rolling his eyes just as Allen found a money note thrusted under his nose.  
The snowy haired frowned in annoyance before he took the bill and returned the change. In the distance, he could hear Lenalee getting started with the drink preparation.

“Well, excuse me for being a native in my own country,” Allen retorted.

Surprisingly, the long haired male smirked silently at him in answer. Silver eyes blinked in a moment of daze, before the pretty boy side stepped towards Lenalee’s side with a flutter of those incredibly smooth ebony tresses.

No, his heart did not just flutter.

  
...

  
Things continued like that for a while.

The raven haired male with pretty hair and pretty face would always come in in the early hours of their coffee house, ordering a variation in the number of shots of Expresso. The snowy haired boy dully wondered when the other would ever try a different drink.

Their exchanges over the counter were always short – with jabs of _Miss_ and _Pretty_ from Allen’s part and _Moyashi_ and _Old Man_ from the other’s part – but lively.

Allen could not remember the last time he had felt so enthusiastic about waking up at 5 a.m. in the morning. He even found himself combing his ivory locks more times than usual to put himself just that tiny bit more presentable.

Until one day, approximately three months later, the male stopped appearing.

‘He might be late today.’ Allen thought the first hour in.

‘Maybe he is busy today.’ Allen thought when the day drew to a close.

Lenalee tried to tease him about it, but he had responded lukewarmly, not in the mood to joke.

It was not until a day dripped into two, then three, then a week, that Allen realized the other was not coming back. The man was a foreigner, obviously. Perhaps the raven haired had returned home.

  
A knot appeared in his chest upon realization, making it suddenly hard for him to breathe.

Of course, the other did not have any obligation to actually _inform_ him about it.

They did not even know each other’s names.

  
...

 

“Good luck with your school,” Lenalee told him warmly.

Allen nodded a thanks, platinum eyes gentling as he stepped forward to give his best friend a loose hug.

“I will still help out on my off days and during the weekends. We are running this together, after all.”

The olive haired girl just chuckled softly, patting him lightly on his back. “Don’t worry. We hired Lavi, didn’t we? He seemed like a cheerful and helpful guy.”

The snowy haired nodded deftly as he pulled back. “He is, but I have to remind you to be careful. Even if you are a black belt in taekwondo, you are still a girl.”

Lenalee raised him an eyebrow with a look of amusement in her violet eyes. “You are starting to sound really like Komui.”

Allen rolled his eyes even as a twitch of amused smile lifted his lips. “Sorry, I don’t think I can ever be as dramatic as him.”

His friend just chuckled in agreement before giving him a light push. “Go then. You will be late.”

“Now you are starting to sound like a mom,” he teased, watching amethyst eyes flare a bit before his friend started frowning in complain.

“Don’t make me sound old, Allen. We are the same age.”

Allen just smiled a little, before waving a goodbye as he made for his first, afternoon class in university, directly from their little shop.

  
...

  
His first class was in a building in the middle of the school’s campus.

As he pushed open the wooden doors, a buzz of noise streamed seamlessly into his eardrums, making him cringe a little. Quickly, before anyone started throwing looks at him for his stark white hair – which he knows would happen, sooner or later – he slipped into the nearest seat to the door, keeping his eyes to the ground to avoid attention.

It was not until he laid his backpack down on the ground, accidentally bumping into an elbow of the one already seated beside him that he looked up and mumbled an apology. 

 

His breath hitched, however, when a familiar pair of dark sapphire eyes stared right back at him.

“Che. Trust the _moyashi_ to just have to be in the same class as me.” The raven haired male who had once frequented their coffee shop scoffed, a little gruff.

Silver eyes blinked twice more to confirm he was not hallucinating, before Allen finally found his voice.

“My name is not moyashi,” he said, slowly, watching the other raise an eyebrow at him.

“It’s Allen. Allen Walker.  
.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can't be sure if I will update it as it looked a bit plain to me. But hope you enjoyed it :)
> 
> Reviews/comments are appreciated.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I lied. Or more like, the plot bunny lied. So hey, an update.

The next morning, Allen found himself waking up early. Too early, in fact.

“Allen??” Lenalee addressed him in a sharp voice as he stepped through the glass doors of their small coffee shop. Her amethyst eyes went wide when he just gave a smile and then placed his backpack down in their backroom. “Why are you here?”

The snowy haired boy gave a soft chuckle as his hands came up to brush his bangs away from his eyes.

“To help out,” he replied plainly.

His friend stared incredulously at him for another moment, before arching an eyebrow.

“Did your 7 a.m. class get cancelled?”

Silver eyes met violet briefly, before darting away quickly. “No…”

“Then?”

Again, Allen gave a short bark of chuckle as mere answer, choosing to walk to the cardboard where they kept their aprons and fished out his.

“Allen… Lavi should be here any second. I don’t think… you need to help out today,” Lenalee’s voice grew softer, and when he looked, there was too soft a gaze in his friend’s eyes that a guilt stabbed his chest almost immediately.

“No… It’s just… I can just help out for ten minutes.”

“Huh?” came the olive haired girl’s surprised response. “You came all the way here to help out for ten minutes?”

When he did not reply, the girl stepped a little closer to him. “Is something wrong, Allen? If you are worried about me…. You don’t need to, really.”

Allen sighed, and decided that he really should not make himself out as a better person than he really was.

“Lenalee, I met that guy again. In school.”

Amethyst eyes blinked at him in perplexity for a moment, before lighting up.

“That long haired guy you called attractive?”

No, Allen was not blushing. His cheeks just felt hot, because the backroom was stuffy. Yes, that was it.  
   
“Yeah…” he answered truthfully, with a half-sigh.

“Wow. So. Wait. Did you come here before your class to – “

There was suddenly the soft sound of the glass doors pried open and scraping along the floor, and two pairs of eyes shot to the entrance just as the guy in question stepped in with a dark look.

How incredibly timely.

Allen’s heart did _not_ make a leap.

But before he could register his actions, he was already moving to the counter.

“Welcome! How can I help you today?” he asked quickly at the tall male who was clad in a simple blue turtle neck that day, jacket over his arm, long locks for once tied up, in a somewhat ridiculously high ponytail with some strands spilling over his shoulders around the jaws. Allen did not let his eyes wander along the toned arm muscles revealed, because just, no.

“Che. You are still working even though the classes have started?” came Kanda’s question.

 Oh yes. He had found out the other’s name in class the day before.

Kanda.

Kanda Yuu.

That was the raven haired male’s name.

 “Yep,” Allen quipped, before adding. “I have stakes in this place.”

There was a soft snort, but then Kanda just dismissed it and went on with his orders. “Expresso double shots. Take away.”

“Expresso double shots,” the white haired repeated, a little too cheerfully even to his own ears. “5 pounds - “

“Call me miss again and I am going to slice your throat, moyashi.” The taller male threatened darkly before he could slip in their routine insult.

Allen pursed his lips. “It’s _Allen._ Fine. 5 pounds, _BaKanda_.”

Dark sapphire eyes widened at him. “The fuck did you just call – “

“Five. Pounds,” he repeated with an eerie smirk and a low voice.

After learning that the male was of Japanese descent since the previous day, Allen had actually done some research on the older male’s native language. Much to his own horror at what he was doing, really. But obviously, it was proving useful in at least some ways.

Kanda gave a low harsh growl before pushing a bill to him. “I swear you don’t know what’s good for you. Keep this up and I might accidentally wreck your neck in class one day.”

Allen just rolled his eyes, a tad smug because he knew the other did not really mean it.

“If you wanted to hit me, you would have yesterday already.”

“Che. Maybe I was in a good mood yesterday.”

“Who glares at the _teacher_ when they are in a good mood?”

“Shut up and get on with the order,” Kanda hissed, obviously seeing himself at a dead end.

“Yes, yes,” he said easily as he pressed enter to record the order into the system before gathering the change for the slightly large denominator Kanda gave him that day. After handing the change back to the raven haired, silver eyes darted to Lenalee who was just turning on the heating system.

“Hey, it might take a longer while today because our system is just starting up,” he told the other.

Kanda raised him an eyebrow, before bringing up his left wrist, where a black watch was strapped. Then dark sapphire eyes caught his before the long haired nodded deftly.

“My class is at seven. It’s still fine.”

 Oh. So they had class at the same timing.

 Suddenly, he had an impulse to – to – to what? He did _not_ just think of asking the other to walk to school with him. He. Did. Not.

Allen nodded back, face betraying nothing of his inner turmoil and self-reprimand.

Then, “do you not have class today?”

His mind screeched to a halt. His fingers felt a little, little bit cold. Truth? Or lie?

“He has class today,” the soft voice of Lenalee cut in for him, making silver eyes snap wide to glinting amethyst. His hearted pounded hard. “At seven, too.”

Kanda was looking at him odd when his gaze wandered back to the raven haired male.

“Which building?”

“Eh? Ah. Music.” Allen replied, voice soft as the nervousness crawled around in his stomach.

“Che. Music is even further from here than Arts. Get your ass out here once my drink is done. You are going to be late if you stayed any longer.”

Allen blinked, once, twice, thrice. And then to his own mortification - as had been occurring too often these days -, his lips quirked upwards of their own accord.

“Worried for me?”

Kanda promptly glared, too predictable that he had to chuckle, which only fueled the anger behind the gleaming dark sapphire hues further.

“Getting out, getting out,” Allen smirked as he pulled his apron off.

Then in a softer tone, said. “Thank you.”

Kanda shot him another annoyed look, but sat nothing else as the man crossed his arms.

 

...

 

For all his book smartness, he really could be dumb sometimes, Lavi thought.

“Sorry I am late!” he nearly shouted when he all but skidded to the counter of A. L. Coffee House, where he was supposed to be starting his first day of part time work in. It was all the fault of the Panda. Why would the old man decide to clear away his alarm, of all things in his – albeit messy - room?

A pair of amethyst eyes glanced at him briefly, before finishing up the waiting customer’s orders with a smile. “Please wait for your drink.” The girl, who he remembered was called Lenalee Lee, said.

As the Asian-looking customer walked to the side, Lenalee turned to him in a strangely weird smile.

Why was she smiling at him when he was late? Horribly late, to put. By – a glance at the clock behind the female – half an hour. He was the never-late king, damn it.

“Oh, don’t worry. I think you helped match-made two people by being late today.” The olive haired female told him, with a light chuckle at what was obviously an inside joke that he knew not of.

Emerald eyes blinked slowly. Well, anyhow, it seemed like he was not going to get sacked…

“It’s the forces of fate.”  The girl said again, an amused thought turning behind her pretty violet eyes.

“Cool,” Lavi decided that was the best thing he could reply. “So… er, backroom?”

Lenalee nodded quickly. “Apron. And you will man the counter. Take a later break for today though.”

“Yes madam!” the redhead grinned easily as he opened the small door to get into the backroom, watching the female proceed with the drink preparation without any hint of dissatisfaction towards him. He was nearly prepared to be given disdainful looks or worse, sacked, for his lateness.

Well, maybe that did not end up too bad, huh.

Also. The girl was definitely a strike.

 

... 


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Slightly shorter chapter.

It rained.

And of all times, in the early morning.

And of all early mornings, the first droplets had to fall when Allen stepped out of the coffee house together with one Kanda Yuu.

What a way to ruin his time with Kanda.

Yes, for the past few days, Allen and Kanda had fallen into a habit of walking to school together in the early morning ever since the fateful Tuesday. It was awkward, because Allen still did not let the other know he was waking up unnecessarily early just to meet him in the café. Kanda still thought Allen had things to sort out in the shop every morning, even after he saw Lavi one day, manning the counter to serve a customer right after Allen stepped out.

A low growl made its way to his ears, just as a soft sigh slipped his lips.

“I didn’t bring an umbrella.”

The white haired boy turned to the older – yes, Kanda was apparently a third year unlike Allen; he had found that out during their Monday common class when the professor flashed the attendance list and Kanda’s matriculation year was two years ahead of his – and smiled faintly.

“Wait here. There’s one in the shop.”

And off Allen went, back into the shop to fetch the big green umbrella Lenalee kept in their backroom.

“Oh, it’s raining huh.” Lenalee commented as the eighteen-year-old pushed open the glass doors.

“Yeah,” Allen replied simply, watching a redhead stepped casually from the backroom as he approached.

 “The umbrella, moyashi-chan,” Lavi said, offering him the tool of shelter readily like he totally expected him to come back. Which was, in all honesty, yes, perfectly predictable.

Allen shot an irritated look at the part timer but thanked him quickly, not quite in the mood to argue the point of his name, which Lavi had secretly picked up from Kanda. The redhead grinned listlessly at him, a little too bright for the still dark skies that were weeping, if you would ask Allen. With that, the snowy haired just turned around to go back to Kanda when Lenalee’s voice called.

“Allen?”

Silver eyes met concerned amethyst ones as he turned, and Allen pulled on his well-practiced smile.

“I’ll be fine, Lena.” He told her surely.

“Don’t push yourself today,” his friend reminded him with a knowing nod.

“Yep,” he quipped as lightly as he could, before stepping out of the shop, meeting narrowed dark sapphire gaze.

“We share. There’s only one,” Allen said, lifting the umbrella in his right hand. “I will drop you off since Arts is on the way.”

“Not like I have a choice,” Kanda told him gruffly.

Allen just shrugged and pulled the umbrella open, watching the moody skies cry tears that get reflected off the ground with every beat, as if trying to form an incoherent song of melancholy.

A low sigh escaped his lips again.

Yes, Allen did not like rainy days.

“Oi.”

Allen turned his face, arching an eyebrow at the older male.

And there, he watched Kanda tightened his dark eyes at him, mouth slightly open as if intending to say something, before snapping shut, then opened again to release a curt boring reply.

“Nothing.”

The snowy haired just smiled his perfect smile again, hiding his sheepishness because he knew that the raven haired male had actually caught his sighs.

Not that he really had the mood to care at that particular moment.

“Let’s go before we get late,” was all Allen said, as he stepped slightly closer to the edge of the tiny shelter they had over their shop.

Then, a hand jerked him back forcefully before Allen could blink, a slight warmth and unexpected electric jolt buzzing his hand before the wooden handle was taken from his grip.

“I hold. Since I am taller than a certain _moyashi_ ,” Kanda gave him a too smug smirk then.

The snowy haired boy started to scowl. "It's Allen."

Trust Kanda to have to make his mood worse.

The older just rolled his eyes, before a smack of pain echoed behind his skull.

“Hey!” Allen yelped, shooting an instinctive glare. Because. Hey. It really hurt. But a cup – Kanda’s expresso – was abruptly pushed under his nose right then.

Silver eyes wandered down to the dark liquid swirling in the uncapped plastic cup wrapped with brown paper cup holder, before jerking back to look at cobalt blue eyes suspiciously.

“Che. Drink this. I can’t drink it while holding the damn umbrella.”

Allen slowly, slowly, took the drink in his two hands, raising a curious and cautious eyebrow at the still impassive face of the raven haired male. Did he mishear that? It sounded so strange. Kanda could definitely finish the 60ml-only drink before they even confronted the wet.

Then, detecting his skeptic, dark sapphire eyes narrowed at him angrily.

“I didn’t poison the damn thing.”

“Of course not. I was just wondering when you’d become so kind to offer your own paid drink,” Allen answered easily, before tentatively asking, “Do you… not need your caffeine today?”

Kanda just snorted at him darkly. “You definitely need it more than me. You’ve been looking like a truck ran over your face with mud since you saw the rain.”

Silver eyes blinked once, then flared a bit, despite the small annoyance clicking at the back of his head that wants to shout a ‘hey’ again or snidely remark a ‘that’s a terrible description’.

“Kanda. Are you _actually_ trying to  – “ A hand hooked harshly around his shoulders just then, an annoyed growl cutting off his words, and the snowy haired found himself suddenly pressed into Kanda’s side with an open mouth and even wider eyes.

“Shut up. We’re going.”

And then Kanda pulled him into the rain to brave the assaults of the skies.

And somehow, just somehow, a small smile was lifting Allen’s lips all the time even as he struggled to balance and shade the cup of liquid in his hands. His heart felt unbearably warm.

Maybe.

Just maybe.

He won’t dislike rainy days so much after this.

.


	4. Chapter 4

Monday came by before he knew it.

.

Allen kept his poker face.

A loud thump resounded on the teacher’s table, and Allen made sure to keep his poker face.

The way too familiar figure shrouded with a head of messy dark red shoulder-length hair who had just strolled into their classroom like he owned the world was not Allen’s uncle. Of course not.

When the tall red haired man pushed up his glasses and rubbed his stubbed beard, brown eyes flickering across the room, Allen did not let his gaze waver from the white board.

Allen kept his poker face.

Of course.

“I am the replacement tutor for this week and the next,” their ad hoc professor declared with a low voice. “Homework is simple. Draw. Or if you brats suck so much at drawing, then a photograph is fine.”

Yes, it was the basic Arts module class Allen was compelled to take despite being a Music major.

Yes, it was the same one – the only one, mind you – that Allen had with Kanda, who was a Digital Arts major.

And yes, Allen had had a bad feeling from the moment Cross Marian of all professors decided to wheeze into their class.

So, when the projector screen got pulled down and a video clip of a girl and guy _kissing_ started flashing in the large classroom almost immediately, the white haired was not surprised at all.

Of course.

There were instantly some gasps in the room, some mumbled heated discussions, and then silence – from the one right next to Allen.

Silver eyes wandered to briefly watch Kanda, whose face got darker and more murderous as the screen continued playing. Allen nearly chuckled at the older male’s expression, but his eyes drifted back to the front and -

Oh, now those two people were _making out_.

In color.

With full sound effects.

Way to go. Great education.

Just when Allen thought Cross Marian had already decided to throw the last vestige of his professional badge away, the screen figures – who were slowly taking apart each other’s clothes – were paused

“There.” Cross Marian said casually, as if what was shown was perfectly normal. Which probably was, to the man. “They have used different kinds of kisses here. So, this is your homework. Draw two people kissing in one of the ways. Boy-girl, girl-girl, boy-boy, I don’t care. But it has to be original, get it. From your own imagination, not plagiarized from some online pictures. If you can’t draw, just give me a damn photograph on the same thing. Submit it by the start of our next class.”

And then ignoring the fact that the class was abruptly full of silent, blushing people, as well as growling, shaking-with-murderous-intent people (like Kanda beside him), Cross Marian turned on his heels and strode out of the class with the air of a gangster, giving a flippant backward wave of his right hand.

A moment of eerie, loud silence elapsed as soon as the doors closed.

Before the place erupted into a volcanic swarm of complains, groans, giggles, and curses.

Allen met Kanda’s eyes, which were too dark when they found his gaze, and he tried to smile.

The older male just glared at him for a moment before asking in a dry tone.

“Are you drawing or taking a photo?”

The smaller boy choked a little, before stumbling his answer. “I-I guess I will try to draw first. If that fails, I will try to take a photo… Although I wonder how…”

“Che. Fucked up replacement tutor,” Kanda grumbled, hands swiftly packing up his things.

“What about you?” Allen raised an eyebrow.

Dark sapphire eyes threw him another glare, which called him stupid. “I am drawing. Obviously.”

“Oh.” Allen just said flatly. “It’s still graded though. It has to be good.”

Kanda rolled his eyes. “I am a _literal_ arts major, baka moyashi.”

“Will you help me then?” the white haired suddenly quipped, trying not to sound too hopeful.

The older just narrowed his eyes at him silently. Allen was already prepared to get shot down brutally when, unexpectedly, Kanda continued in an annoyed yet subtly haughty voice. “You can’t draw at all?”

Allen blinked at the raven haired for a second, and then muttered his defense grudgingly. “My major is piano…”

“Che. Fine. Friday after your class. Six. At the café you work in.”

Silver eyes widened, for reasons more than one, and Allen found himself straightening in his seat at the offer. Because that was what it was, wasn’t it? An offer to help, coming from the ever _empathetic_ older boy. “Yes. Thank you!”

At the back of his mind, the word ‘wow’ was chanted like a prayer. He also could not believe that Kanda had actually _remembered_ what Allen had said about himself during one of their walks to school… That his classes for the semester all ended around evening.

For some reason, his chest abruptly felt tight and fuzzy from the tiny revelation that Kanda may care more than he appeared to.

However.

In front of him, Kanda just snorted through his nose before zipping his navy backpack and standing up.

“Just did not want to see someone’s head flattened on the ground.”

“Huh?” Allen was frowning in perplexity.

The raven haired male chose that moment to give him a way too arrogant smirk.  “Begging me for help.”

And then Kanda was gone in a cape of ebony locks, leaving a very confused Allen for a moment before the white haired growled softly at the classroom door, a genuine offense taking to his heart.

“Arrogant prick.”

.

 


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those who (unfortunately) read the up-for-an-hour (old) chapter 5 yesterday:  
> lets just pretend it didn't happen okay? ^^;
> 
> Much apologies for that. It's what happens when you decided to do a last minute edit on the plot without reading what you had written above. Still, even now I can't say I am very happy with how the chapter turned out but. I will strive not to be careless like that again! Cheers!

“You suck.”

“Hey, be nice. I am trying.” Allen knitted his eyebrow at he concentrated on drawing a straight line angle that Kanda said he needed to shape a face.

“Che. It doesn’t even _look_ human. Go take a photo.”

“No! You said you were helping. So I am not going to start finding couples to intrude their privacy on.”

“Who said only couples kiss?”

“Don’t _even_ go there.”

“At this pace, you won’t finish it even if we wait for Christmas.”

Allen growled, dropped his pencil and glowered hard at Kanda, who was currently seated beside him by the singles’ seats facing the café’s glass planes.

“Stop making fun of me. You said you will help. So, jerk, keep your word.”

Kanda narrowed his cobalt eyes at him as he met his glare with equal ferocity. “You were the one who _refused_ to copy or trace the work I so fucking kindly drew for your damn sake.”

The white haired just groaned in exasperation as he turned back to the piece of paper in front of him.

“Shut up. I will show you that I _can_ draw. I just need some pointers, not loot someone’s work.”

The older male just scoffed beside him. “Right. Keep trying. And I will be back home with a cup of– “Allen grasped Kanda’s arm just as the raven haired stood ready to leave, meeting angered dark sapphire eyes with his own hostile one.

“You said you will help.” Allen pointed out harshly.

“You were the one who is refusing.” Kanda hissed back.

“Guys,” a familiar voice reached his ears, and silver eyes wandered back to emerald ones. Lavi gave him a sloppy grin. “Shush. You’re scaring the crowd.”

“Che. Who cares,” Kanda sneered, crossing his arms, but Allen did not miss how the other slowly sat back down on the tall seat by his hips.

Allen just sighed. “Sorry, Lavi. We will be quiet.”

The redhead just nodded, shooting a _look_ at Kanda for a moment too long, before darting back behind the counter.

And. Hey. Who said Lavi could ogle at his Kanda –

A smack on the back of his skull made him yelp before he could finish his thoughts. And somehow, he was really glad his own train of thoughts got interrupted. Because. What was that, really?

“Focus if you are going to draw at all!” Kanda growled at him.

“Fine!” Allen retorted with a huff, and begun again, sore fingers gripping the pencil again to continue his assignment. And it was all the fault of that good-for-nothing uncle of his.

.

It was a slow, slow hour. And then some.

When he heard Kanda’s sigh again, Allen frowned in anxiousness as he looked to the other male.

“Is it still that bad?”

The raven haired male raised an eyebrow at him. “No. But if you realize, you have only _just_ finished drawing _half_ of the guy’s face _.”_

Allen looked at his carefully done work for a second, before sighing too, dropping his forehead onto the wooden table in a sudden wave of exhaustion.

“Damn it. I should just copy your work.”

“Che. Told you so.”

The snowy haired boy pursed his lips, lifting his head once more and glaring at the piece of offending white paper. “But I don’t want to…  That’s kind of cheating.”

“And getting _pointers_ for every stroke of pencil isn’t.” Kanda scoffed at him again.

“Shut up.” Allen hissed, shooting Kanda an irritated look. “I will do this.”

“I don’t have all the fucking time in the world, moyashi,” came an impatient and albeit tired reply.

Allen blinked at that, glancing at the clock – and oh, wow, it was already ten. It meant Kanda had stayed with him for four hours already…

Silver eyes caught dark cobalt sheepishly, before flickering away to his barely-started work, even after four hours. “Oh, huh. Sorry. For wasting your time.”

Kanda was silent for a moment beside him, before there was suddenly a hand on his head.

His body froze at the contact.

“Che. It’s fine. I have nothing on today.” The older male said thickly. “Although, I really don’t think you will be able to finish that by Monday.”

Allen bit his lips, slowly relaxing as he nodded tentatively. It was true, he could see it coming.

“Lend me your work then. I will… copy it.”

He could hear the reluctance in his own voice.

Because. Damn it. He had wanted to _prove the other wrong_.

Allen would have to think of other ways to get back at the jab Kanda made at him in the classroom.

When silence met his unwilling surrender instead of another insult, Allen turned his face in mild curiosity – and watched a serene expression cross Kanda’s face like slow clouds moving across the sun.

“Kanda?” he called, teetering on a confused frown.

There was suddenly a tiny glare condensing the older male’s dark blue eyes.

“Give me your cell.”

“Eh?”

Kanda just stared at him wordlessly, so Allen quickly fished out his phone from his pocket in compliance and offered it to the taller male with a skeptical look.

And then, he watched the other fiddle with it for a moment –

“Oi.”

There was a grip on his left arm.

Silver eyes widened to saucers pan.

His whole body had fallen forward with Kanda’s too strong lug on his arm, and then now –

Holy. There were lips touching his.

And, and, and – theywere _moving_.

His ears barely registered sounds of robotic clicks, or the soft gasps from nearby strangers in the café.

In that moment, his mind was absolutely, utterly, completely silent.

And then the soft, warm contact was gone.

Deep sapphire eyes stared darkly into his for a moment, before Allen found the grip on him released. His chest heaved in the release of a breath he never knew he had withheld, and Allen could only stare back at Kanda in stunned silence, eyes hanging wide.

“Che. There. Now it's all done.”

And then there was a cold pressure of his phone being placed within his palms, before the raven haired male grabbed his sprawled stationeries and rough papers – leaving the thin file of paper with his work originally intended for Allen -, upped and left in a matter of blurred seconds.

Allen could only follow Kanda’s figure with his eyes in astonished silence, gradually watching through the glass walls of the coffee house - Kanda leaving without a backward glance.


	6. Chapter 6

“Confess!”

Allen groaned.

“Not you too.”

“Oh, who else told you that?’

A beat of silence.

“Doesn’t matter. What matters is that I have only known him properly for two weeks, Lena.”

“Uhuh. But you like him,” his friend so kindly pointed out.

“Two weeks,” Allen tried not to hiss at his friend, but his voice came out a little menacing still. “That’s too fast, isn’t it? I don’t even know him well yet.”

“Yeah…” Lenalee raised an eyebrow at him then. “Confessing is considered _too fast_ when you guys already _kissed_.”

Allen groaned in exasperation.

“That does _not_ mean anything, Lena! I thought I already made it clear to you just now.” Then, to emphasize his point to his friend, Allen mimicked Kanda’s cold voice from the day before, again. “‘ _who said only couples kissed?_ ’”

It was all Lavi’s fault for recounting the episode from the previous day (which was the day Lenalee took an off on) to Lenalee, that the girl even came to knew of the incident. How the two were already personal texting each other over  _small matters like that_ was a mystery to Allen. He had to thank heavens that Lavi had been busy enough on Saturday not to get some pictures in.

The olive haired girl just shrugged. “I personally don’t see myself kissing someone I dislike, just to help them with their homework.”

The white haired merely pursed his lips and insisted.

“It’s too fast. I don’t think I know him enough yet.”

Lenalee suddenly sighed like a good old grandmother.

“Allen. You've gone out with people you did not even know _exist_ , just because they confessed to you.”

The snowy haired boy furrowed his eyebrows as he slowly recollected his history.

“Those were different.”

A soft chuckle then escaped the olive haired girl, making Allen direct his inward frown to his friend.

“What’s so funny?”

“You’re acting childish,” Lenalee chose to smile good naturedly at him then, leaning back in her seat. “But it just says that he means different for you than everyone else, isn’t it?”

Allen let his gaze drop to his hands placed upon their shared table, frowning yet deeper to himself.

Was that how it looked like?

“I still don’t believe in romance, you know. It’s too idealistic.”

Lenalee sighed, then retorted exasperatingly. “Your uncle’s example isn’t a very good one, you know.”

Allen just rolled his eyes by way of an answer.

“Then? If you know you like him, you should make some moves.” The olive haired continued.

And Allen scoffed a little at his friend, platinum eyes wide in incredulity.

“ _Moves_ , seriously? Lenalee. This is not a movie. And he is not a girl. Neither am I.” Allen found himself sighing a little at that, leaning back into his wooden seat, and staring at the back of a small silver laptop Lenalee had on the table for their daily report. “And you don’t know him. I can’t even imagine how he would react if I actually _moved_.”

“Well yeah, I sure don’t know him as well as you.” Lenalee said, a tone of chiding. “But you won’t get anywhere with him if you don’t at least do _something._ Besides, meaningful or not, he liked you enough to _kiss_ you to help you with your horrible drawing skills. You can’t be put down too badly, anyhow.”

Allen arched an eyebrow at his friend.

“Who said I wanted to get anywhere with him, anyway?” he challenged.

Amethyst eyes just blinked, slowly and pointedly at him.

At the continued stare, the white haired boy abruptly realized that his actions thus far - including the very dumb act of waking up earlier every Tuesday to Friday morning - was so not helping his case. He coughed a bit in embarrassment.

“He has a half-assed personality,” Allen slowly explained, digging up some of the less-than-pleasant memories he shared with the raven haired male. “Not the best person to get along with, let alone date.”

“Uhuh. And you’ve been smiling while you are saying that… Oh, I wonder what that could mean…” His friend trailed off, words dripping in suggestive and sarcasm.

Allen pursed his lips, tightened his eyes at his friend. “Let it drop, Lena.”

Why was Lenalee so keen on the topic anyway? Oh, the complications of the female minds.

Lenalee just shrugged. “Of course I can. But I just want you to be happy. What would you do if someone else confessed to him before you did?”

The snowy haired boy rolled his eyes again. “Like a cold bastard like him would just agree.”

His friend sighed, again. “He has good looks, doesn’t he? And if you like him, I doubt he is really that ‘cold bastard’ you are making him out to be. Don’t think that you are the only one who can see his good attributes. Others can too. What will you do if someone else _did_ see them, _did_ confess, _and_ he agrees, for whatever reasons?”

Allen had no answer for a moment.

“Besides, I’ve known you since we were five. I don’t really think you are a harmless lamb either, Allen. You probably liked his ‘half-assed’ attitude too, isn’t it?”

Now, Allen had to choke on his saliva. Did he?

That horrible, haughty personality… There was no way he liked that, wasn’t it?

But. Well, he had to admit he always admired how Kanda could just act and say whatever he wants, without a care to anybody or any situation. It was actually a thing that was really hard to do, really, in such a complicated and multi-faceted world. It was hard to find someone that brave and true to himself. Besides, if Allen were to be honest, Kanda was showing himself as more than what his hard personality seems like on the surface…

“Earth to Allen,” Lenalee called with a note of amusement.

Silver eyes blinked, regaining reality as he stared at wide violet eyes.

Allen sighed with all his heart. “Finish the report, Lena. I… get your point. But I will see for myself how things go. I don’t want to rush into anything.”

And at this, his friend gave him a warm, understanding smile.

“As long as you get it.”

The white haired could only snap his gaze to the side, thinking that he had a lot to think about tomorrow. He would have to sort his thoughts out before he met Kanda again on Monday.


	7. Chapter 7

_Why_ was Kanda here, on a Sunday?

It was ten minutes before two in the afternoon.

Allen was already preparing to get off work to reflect on _certain things_ when a familiar raven haired male streamed casually into the café – with his long locks tied up high for the second time Allen had known the man. And then, the man was not even alone.

Even for the initial three months when they had been merely a-shop-owner-and-a-customer, Kanda never ever appeared in the coffee house on a weekend. And never, ever, ever did the male appeared with another friend.

And.

They were friends that clung to the raven haired male, to boot.

Silver eyes watched Kanda strolled to the counter with as impassive an air as ever, as if there was not a human glued to his side, arms hooked on one of his own. Allen’s hands on his apron which he was in the middle of taking off slowed dramatically until they came to a standstill.

There was a force thudding hardly in his chest, and Allen had no idea what he was supposed to feel.

“…Welcome,” Allen managed to get out when the taller male stood solid in front of him. He felt like there was something jammed in his throat.

Kanda just raised an eyebrow at him before saying. “Double. And – “

“Hot cappuccino please,” the smaller figure beside Kanda chimed at him with a gentle smile.

Allen swallowed hard and tried to pull his professional smile.

“Right. One expresso double-shots and a hot cappuccino.” The snowy haired found himself reiterating in a low voice, and adding a question he had not needed to ask Kanda for a long time. “Having here or take-away?”

And Allen cringed internally when Kanda and the black haired boy half-a-head shorter exchanged a glance.

“Che. Having here.”

The white haired just nodded without lifting his head, focusing on tapping the orders into the system.

 “11.5 –“

“Yuu, I will pay.”

Allen’s one eye twitched instinctively.

There was a sharp growl from the taller male but then –

“Fine.”

“ – pounds, that will be,” Allen finished lamely, doing his damnedest not to let his polite smile crack.

And then the shorter male, still clinging an arm around Kanda’s left, reached into his pocket and offered Allen a debit card. It was at a closer distance that Allen noticed the purple highlights in the other’s hair – and that the boy was staggering in his single step forward.

He blinked once in slight perplexity and – was that hopefulness in his chest? – before dutifully swiping the mode of payment and returned it to the smiling customer along with a sensor.

“Please wait for your orders.” Allen said dryly.

“Sure!” Kanda’s friend just chimed. “I will wait –“

“Go _sit_ , baka.” Kanda spat, however. “Your ankle’s going to get worse.”

Ah. So the boy _was_ injured. Allen must have been shocked a two dozen times over for him not to have noticed that simple fact from when the two entered the shop.

Still, that did not mean Allen liked the fact that the shorter male blatantly pouted at Kanda – before Kanda patiently brought the black haired to the nearest circular, wooden table to get seated down. When the raven haired male came back to him with a half-sigh, their eyes met. Allen coughed awkwardly before looking away to Lenalee who was still busying around with previous orders, apparently ignorant of the little situation.

“It’s a first time I have seen you here on a Sunday,” Allen found himself saying, as a means to distract himself from the strange curling of tension within his stomach, hands reaching to – once again – pull off his apron. Lavi should be reporting to work any time now, after all.

Kanda just snorted softly at him. “We had a training near to school today.”

That new information made Allen flick his gaze back to the taller male in curiosity.

“…Kendo, right?” Allen queried for confirmation, recalling that Kanda had once told him that he was in such a club activity during one of their mornings together.

The long haired just nodded deftly back at him before asking back a – “And you’re off work now?”

Somehow, a small smile found its way to Allen’s face at the probe.

“Yeah. I have a half-day off today.” He answered easily, before throwing a glance at Kanda’s friend seated at the side. Silver eyes almost reeled back when he realized dark eyes were already trained on him and Kanda. “… You guys just starting training or is it already over?”

“Che. It’s going to be over in a few. Alma got injured so I brought him here first to rest.” Kanda told him with a deepening scowl. “If he’s on the grounds, he won’t stop trying to do _something_ despite his condition.”

Allen just chuckled softly. “Well, so if you are here to serve as his guardian, shouldn’t you stay with him? He’s… been looking our way for some time now. Maybe he has something to say.”

When Kanda cast him an incredulous, almost offended look, Allen only raised an eyebrow back innocently. Then, he watched Kanda look back at his friend and said in a heavy tone, across the three feet distance.

“Stop giving the pitiful look,” Kanda growled at his friend, voice low and annoyed. “You are not going back there until it ends. There’s only half an hour left anyway.”

And the boy named Alma all but give a childish grunt, before propping himself on the table with both hands and – openly sulked, avoiding any further eye contact. Allen almost scoffed at the strange scene. Was that Alma guy a _kid_?

Allen was _eighteen_ and he did not even do that.

Kanda seemed to notice whatever expression was flashing across his face –

“He’s like that when it comes to Kendo,” Kanda defended, still slightly irritated. “A little obsessed. Not that I can blame him.’

Allen stared back for a while, contemplating the older boy’s words, before nodding slowly. “I see… Maybe I should try it out someday to see for myself.”

Kanda smirked back at him then. It was growing to be a frequent sight; it seemed like an almost pleased look; it stole Allen’s breath for a fragment of a second there – and –

The sensor in Kanda’s hands buzzed loudly.

The raven haired male immediately gave a low grunt and stepped to the side where Lenalee was presenting his orders on a brown tray, beside an order from a previous customer.

No, Allen did not feel disappointed.

Genuinely.

He was grateful, actually.

Because he had no idea what words he was about to spew mindlessly, at the look Kanda was giving him.

It was still too fast to meet the raven haired male, after what happened on Friday, coupled with what Lenalee told him on Saturday.

His thoughts were still not sorted out yet.

Swallowing hard, Allen just loitered at the counter a bit more, watching Lenalee and Kanda exchange some commentaries as no further customers came for orders at the off-season timing for their shop. They catered mainly for university students, after all. It was not until Lavi dropped in with a loud, banging ‘Good afternoon!’ did Allen smile faintly and reluctantly left the shop with a goodbye nod to Kanda.

He had no idea what he felt when, looking back into the shop after he stepped out, he saw Kanda cleaning away a coffee stain on his friend’s lips with his fingers.

No, Allen had no idea.

...


	8. Chapter 8

Still, even though he had no idea what he actually felt during his encounter with Kanda and his _close_ friend, their unexpected meeting just now pushed Allen to make a decision.

Because Lenalee was right.

He would not be the first one to ever notice Kanda’s kindness underlying all his ironclad façade. He would also not know when someone else might choose to confess to Kanda first, if not for the fact that Kanda might already _have_ someone.

_‘he liked you enough to kiss you’_

Lenalee’s sage words rung in his mind, abruptly fueling a strange swirling in his stomach.

The white haired sighed, as he trudged into his room and plopped down on his chair unceremoniously. It was all very confusing. He dug out his phone from his drawer and flipped to the screen where a certain photograph stared back at him.

There, on the screen, were the melted profiles of the two faces, Kanda’s and his own – and soon, he found himself quietly blushing to himself. Slowly, he lifted a finger to trace the contours of Kanda's straight nose on the flat screen surface, followed by the older boy's lips. A gentle shiver made its way up his spine. The snowy haired could almost still feel the tingling on his own lips…

_‘who said only couples kissed?’_

Kanda’s impassive rhetoric suddenly echoed in his mind, like a slap to his face for his fantasies rapidly growing wild. Allen blinked for a moment, before snorting derisively into the air.

Well, a fact was for sure. He would never know what Kanda _could_ have meant until he _asked_ him about it. Since he had already decided, he would just have to pick a timing and go through with it. Regardless of whether he got out of it in one piece, at least he would have gotten an answer.

Slowly, silver eyes wandered across his desk and set themselves on the calendar on the far right end, where a certain date was circled in red.

He had a piano recital on Wednesday.

Perhaps… Maybe… that would be a good day.

.

Monday.

It was the ironically the only weekday that he and Kanda went to school separately, because Allen’s classes only starts in the afternoon and he had to _actually_ help out in the morning instead of faking it. So Allen was a bundle of nerves as he stepped gingerly into their classroom, afraid Kanda was already there – until his nerves flipped out for another reason altogether.

Cross Marian was early, and the maroon haired was leisurely sitting before the teacher’s table, legs extended and propped on it. Sharp brown eyes met his upon his entry and Allen stiffened instinctively with an automatic, fake smile when he realized he was the first to come to class.

“Isn’t it the stupid nephew of mine,” Cross threw out after a long look at him.

“Isn’t it the stupid uncle of mine,” Allen retorted with his perfect smile.

Cross just rolled his eyes and tapped a fist on the table.

“Homework, kid. You definitely took a picture, didn’t you? Being you suck so much at drawing. I must have been so kind to give you an alternative. You must thank me.”

Allen could not help but glare a bit at the taller man as he moved swiftly to his seat to set down his backpack and dig it open for his homework piece.

“I am not _that_ bad at drawing,” Allen tried to defend himself. “I draw better than Rhode.”

The middle-aged man just chuckled low and harsh at him. “Yeah, and you compare yourself with a  _seven-year-old_ cousin you have.”

Allen just sighed in exasperation – because there was no way out of it.

“I took a photo, alright.”

Cross Marian just smirked at him and Allen felt like punching his uncle to wipe that smug look away.

“Well, let’s see if you can at least take a proper picture then. Did my awesome upbringing of you helped? You must have known all the good places to get all those kisses…”

Allen just growled incoherently as he pulled out his printed out photograph of him and… and immediately, he found himself pushing the file of paper back into his bag with a sharp intake of breath.

 _I must have been insane to think of submitting this to_ him _._ Allen’s head helpfully supplied, all too belatedly. _He’s so going to kill me. Or Kanda._

“Well?”

Silver eyes shot in desperation and annoyance to the red haired man.

“Can you give me – us – another week?”

Cross Marian’s face darkened in a look that called him ridiculous.

“I am only a replacement for two weeks, stupid. Hurry up and hand it here.” Another fist-knock on the hollow, red oak teacher’s table.

With a heart thumping unevenly in his chest, Allen cringed to himself as he lifted his work from the abyss of his bag– and damning all else to hell – strode the distance to the front and slammed his work on the table, face down.

“Look only when you get back to the office,” Allen demanded eye-to-eye with his uncle.

Cross lifted an eyebrow back at him.

“Kid, are you actually _blushing_ over a photograph assignment of a kiss?”

“S-Shut up.” Allen cursed himself for the stutter. “Just promise me you won’t look now.”

And they stared at each other for a long moment; Allen refused to back down.

“Fine,” Cross finally grunted out, brown eyes reflecting amusement mixed with irritation. “Apparently, I will have to knock some more _teachings_ in your head if you still get flustered this easily.”

An air of relief filled his lungs at the promise he received, and Allen only slowly released his hand over the piece of work he had placed on the table. Nevertheless, silver eyes narrowed at the red haired man as he answered in exasperation.

“ _No thank you_. As if I’d ever live with you and your truck of women again.”

.

It was the minute that Cross dismissed their class, that Allen decided to make a _move_.

Oh, Lenalee would be so happy.

“Kanda,” Allen called swiftly, turning slightly in his seat to face the older boy beside him.

“Che. What?” Kanda just intoned mechanically, head angling towards him, long tresses shifting over his shoulders.

“This Wednesday. Seven in the evening. Are you free?” he asked flatly, fingers twitching in slight nervousness. He quickly clamped them down into fists.

The raven haired male just narrowed his dark blue eyes at him. “Why?”

Allen swallowed hard and tried to speak in an even voice betraying none of the jitteriness in his stomach.

“I have a piano recital.”

Kanda looked oddly at him for a moment, arms slowly crossing from their original position on the desk.

Damn. That was a bad sign, was it not? For as far as body languages went…

“So?”

Allen almost choked at the sharp retort. But he took a deep breath and –

“Come.”

There was blatant surprise in Kanda’s dark sapphire orbs and Allen almost smiled.

“I want you to come,” Allen added in a softer voice, darting his eyes, willing the heat in his cheeks to go away. Because, damn it. It was building to too much of a giveaway.

“… What’s so special about recitals? People have them numerous times a semester – “

Allen’s eye suddenly twitched in annoyance. Was the other really so damn _dense_ , after everything he had already _done_? He turned back to glower and he was _so_ going to retort –

“- Che. Fine. Whatever. I will go.”

The words queued on his tongue stopped dead. Silver eyes widened and lit up. All the anger that had been accumulating from Kanda’s little rant was suddenly drained like the plug had just been pulled.

“Really?!” Allen gasped in disbelief, ignoring just how light headed he suddenly felt.

Kanda only frowned mildly as the long haired leaned back in his seat. “Don’t make me repeat myself.”

Allen only nodded furiously, a little too enthusiastic. But adrenaline was abruptly pumping hard and wild through his blood and he could not help it.

“Give me your number. I will text you the hall location later. It will be in Music School, though.”

Well, yes. Despite their long acquaintance, Allen still had not gotten Kanda’s number. Sure, it was not like he had _never_ thought of asking for the other’s number. It was just that he had never found a good enough excuse. Their common module did not have group projects, and they met each other on a daily basis – thanks to Allen’s little act every morning, really. There had seemed little reason to actually _ask_ for Kanda's contact, being Allen was no texter and like hell was he ever going to call Kanda over nothing like an obsessed stalker, infatuated as he was.

The situation he was creating sure was giving him a perfect opportunity, though.

Kanda merely arched an eyebrow at him before stoically demanding,

“Give me your cell then.”

Allen kept his mind perfectly blank as he dug into his pants pocket and handed said electronic device over to the raven haired male. He tried not to think too much about the last time Kanda had said the exact same thing.

When Kanda handed him back his phone with a new contact saved, dark sapphire eyes gleaming strangely at him, Allen only grinned, if a little too brightly.

“Great.”

...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay. Screw it. I am just going to post all the 3 chapters i'd written so I can stop re-re-re..reading them to look for something wrong. If I pick up anything else later, I will edit it in. Let me hope there isn't anything too major... 
> 
> Thanks for reading, guys. See you next time. Hope you liked the multi-chapter update.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Merry christmas

“You are changing the song?”

Allen chuckled nervously, scratching the back of his head as he meekly answered a “Yeah.”

Then quickly, the white haired reasserted himself, “I will keep the others. It’s only that final song. I have full confidence since I played it before.”

The tanned man before him, Professor Marie, just stared at him for a long questionable moment. And Allen only shifted his weight on his foot as he tried to smile as sincerely as he could. He could understand why his professor was reluctant, and there was no way he would blame the tall man should he reject his request. Allen’s reason was not anything especially _major_ , after all. Nevertheless, the boy had thought he should at least give it a shot at asking…

“You sure? The recital is only tomorrow. If you changed it now…”

Silver eyes blinked at the prelude to a compromise being offered to him. He quickly nodded his head, trying not to reveal too much of his overzealousness. It was, in the end, an inappropriate and personal reason of his after all.

“I have confidence,” Allen promised gallantly. “And I will practice the replaced song diligently this weekend.”

His professor looked solemnly at him for another minute, before speaking in a low voice.

“I don’t doubt your capabilities, Allen,” Prof Marie told him, tilting his shiny head slightly. Allen always thought that that appearance suited the professor, oddly enough. “You are quite a prodigy for your age so I won’t doubt that you can perform _Salut d’Amour_ even on a last minute basis. Nevertheless, there will be consequences for it. It might disrupt the flow of the pieces. Can I ask if you are requesting the change because someone in particular is coming?”

Allen swallowed hard at the direct question, but he knew it was hopeless to refute.

 _Salut d’Amour_ was a famously romantic song, after all.

So, braving the sudden heat in his cheeks, Allen only gave a sharp nod, darting his eyes to his shoes.

Well, if Prof Marie rejected his request, Allen would still dutifully play his assigned piece…

There was suddenly a low sigh, before a tingly warmth placed itself on his head. Silver eyes shifted hesitantly to look up into dark orbs, and Allen just knew he won when the tanned man smiled softly down at him with his palm still placed on his ivory locks.

“You may change,” his professor declared. “I don’t quite have the heart to reject a teenage kid trying to attempt a confession through his music.”

Allen just blushed harder at the frank, sincere words and replied back with an equal honesty:

“Thank you. Although, I doubt that the person I am playing it to would really understand the implications of the piece.”

 .

.

.

“How come you did not continue studying?”

Lavi blinked at the unexpected question Lenalee was asking him, out of nowhere.

Nevertheless, he could understand the need to fill the silences now that there were no customers. So, the redhead smiled wistfully as he leaned against the counter and answered truthfully.

“Well. My old man travels too much for me to actually stay long enough _somewhere_ to complete any courses.”

Beautiful violet eyes stared contemplatively at him for a second, before the girl nodded, a finger to her chin. It was somewhat cute.

“Guess that tells why you know so many languages,” Lenalee smiled softly at him. “Any plans to move any time soon? If you are leaving, you’ve gotta tell me ahead of time.”

“Aw, Lena, do you want me away that badly?” Lavi decided to feign a complain, teasing the olive haired female a good four years younger than him. Emerald eyes captured the embarrassed pink tint flushing the girl’s face with amusement. “Sorry to disappoint. My old man seems to like England.”

Lenalee then chuckled good naturedly at him. “Good to know. You are a great help here, you know.”

Lavi just offered a big grin, before his thoughts turned.

“What about you? You are still young. How come instead of pursuing studies, you are choosing to start a business?”

The olive haired raised an eyebrow at him, shrugging. “I’ve always had an interest in coffee and cafes, being my brother loves them.” A gentle smile lit the girl’s face at this. Of course. Over the days he had worked in that little café, it took little for him to learn that Lenalee and her brother were close. “So I thought I might as well give it a shot. Although, it’s mainly due to Allen that we got this up.”

“Oh?” Lavi queried in curiosity. That was new. He had only known both Lenalee and Allen owned the little coffee house, but being that Lenalee was the one who have always participated more, he had always assumed the girl was the one who had more stakes.

“Yeah,” Lenalee told him lightly, reclining against the receiving platform where drinks were passed over the customers. “Allen forked out most of the capital, saying he had wanted a business too.” A harsh chuckle interjected at this point. Lavi only stared carefully at the younger. “I know he’s only half-telling the truth though. Even though he has experience in business, his heart has always been more on piano.”

Lavi had to gently quirk an eyebrow.

“Allen is… eighteen years old, right?” he tried to confirm. It seemed odd that a kid that young would have so much money in his hands to start a business; let alone have experience in that field. That was, unless he had a fanciful background…

“His parents passed away young and he lived with an uncle who dabbled in trades on the side.”

_Ah._

He suddenly felt like he had asked the dumbest question in his life.

“Sorry for probing,” Lavi quickly added, watching the girl look away, shaking her head.

“That’s why I am really hoping for his happiness,” Lenalee suddenly blurted, stunning the redhead. A determined pair of amethyst eyes suddenly shot back to him, and he could only creak a surprised smile out in return. “Say, from your perspective, do you think that Kanda Yuu actually likes him? He kissed him and all…”

Lavi just let a little smirk edge his lips up.

“I bet a hundred dollars that he does. You should have seen the way that guy stared at Allen when they were here on Friday, when he thought Al was not looking.”

Lenalee, however, just frowned worriedly at him. And Lavi knew it was due to the little spectacle they had witnessed on Sunday. It was nothing horribly ominous, but it did put some questions into his head at the time. The reminder made him hesitate all of a sudden, although he usually had a good amount of trust in his own judgement...

“If you say so…”

.


	10. Chapter 10

It was finally Wednesday.

And for the entire day, Allen could hardly focus on his classes.

**_Hall 14. Entrance is on level 1. Doors open at 6.30._ **

He had texted Kanda the location on Tuesday night – and the raven haired male had just left him on read. In return, Allen had decided to briefly bitch about it when they met in the morning, but the older boy just shrugged it off saying that he had not thought he needed to reply. So Allen merely rolled his eyes and left it at that.

Yet, one hour before the end of his last class of the day, his phone buzzed in his back pocket and Allen gulped in a wave of nervousness.

Peaking a glance to the front of the classroom, where Professor Sokaro was still demonstrating on a new music piece on the black grand piano, Allen slipped the small device out onto his palm and unlocked it with swift fingers.

A message from ‘Kanda Yuu’.

He took a deep breath at the unexpected message, and opened it.

**_Will be late._ **

The snowy haired boy immediately frowned as he typed back a quick reply.

**_Bastard. Fine. At least be there before 8 p.m._ **

Surprisingly, he received an instant reply. Kanda must have been on his phone.

**_That’s fine._ **

And Allen only sighed softly to himself before clicking the phone off.

.

.

.

5 minutes to half past seven.

It would soon be Allen’s turn and he only gave a formal smile to everyone in sight.

“Good luck Allen!”

“Thanks! You too!” he would reply.

“You will surely break a leg, dear.”

A chuckle. “Thank you for your confidence,” he would answer.

His heart was thudding slow but hard in his chest, almost constricting. Silver eyes lifted slowly to the ceilings, before closing them. Allen flexed his fingers in a mild warm up and he decided to ignore everything else. Because. Regardless of some of his impure intentions, piano was not something to be taken lightly. He would do his best, regardless of whatever.

“Thank you, Lawrence Rousselot, for the wonderful pieces” came the MC’s voice, and Allen quickly snapped up from his seat on a wooden bench near the curtains behind the stage. “Next up, we will be having the talented first year pianist Allen Walker!”

With the wave of claps upon the introduction, the snowy haired gathered a deep breath and – strode out with a perfect smile on his face.

Yes.

He would do his best.

.

And he would do his best.

Even if there was abruptly a sharp pain throbbing his heart.

It was a somewhat strange phenomenon.

That one would always be able to tell precisely where that _certain someone_ was, even if it was in a large room - like the concert hall they were currently in.

The first face that Allen had seen upon righting from his formal, ninety-degree bow – was Kanda’s.  On the middle section seats, a little to the left. With his ebony hair let down like almost any other day; with his perfect sharp features; with his deep cobalt blue eyes.  Their eyes met.

He had had a brief surge of warmth and jitters curling in his stomach, along with an urge to grin, before the pleasant feelings were busted with a slap in the face and a stab in his chest.

Because.

There was a familiar face, seated right beside Kanda.

That _close_ friend whom the raven haired male had called Alma.

His genuine polite smile froze upon the discovery, and Allen stood a little longer than mandated at the front of the wide, wooden stage. A little quiet moment of awkwardness even ensued in that enormous place, as silver eyes stared into opposing dark eyes on Alma’s face across the huge distance. He could not tear his eyes away, no matter how much he wanted to. Because Alma was not looking away either.

It was not until the MC’s voice came again – a little strained and confused –

“Allen Walker, please.”

-that Allen recovered his senses. The snowy haired boy quickly forced a mild smile, before turning sharply to walk to his ivory grand piano, sitting down in a fluid move.

He blinked a way too many times to dispel further thoughts on the subject, before lifting his fingers over his perfect keyboard – and played.

And the music came, perfect and salient, as always.

.

Typically, Allen could easily forget himself in his pieces.

And he chose to do exactly that, in that moment.

To forget himself; to forget the rest. He needed it more than ever.

Yet, when the pieces crawled one by one towards the last, Allen’s head started to regain reality. His mind begun to race with hesitation and reluctance.

 _Salut d’Amour_ would have been such a joke, already.

Yet, it would be a mistake to change the piece back to his initially assigned one at such a belated notice.

Allen had confidence in his skills, but he could not say that he had fully memorized the assigned piece. It would be downright terrible if he played it wrong, especially after inviting Kanda over.

Slowly, as his fingers laid on one key after another for the last few notes of the penultimate piece, Allen firmed his heart and decided to go along with _Salut d’Amour._

Because even if that song could no longer convey the same emotions, Allen decided that he would use that song – to mark an end to his one-sided infatuation gone a little over the line.

The snowy haired then tilted his face towards the crowd, again finding Kanda’s impassive face in a blink of an eye, and gave a small wry smile.

Then, after turning back to his monochrome keyboard and taking a deep breath, Allen played.

_Salut d’Amour._

.

.

.

It was a two hours later that the entire recital ended.

Allen’s mind was entirely blank, dazed, as he stood around chatting with various classmates during the entire period after his turn. He had not quite felt he was there on the grounds.

Then, the minute the exit was opened upon the formal conclusion to the event, the snowy haired had slipped out the back doors within a second’s notice.

He hardly wanted to think about Kanda, or anything related to that jerk.

Not anymore.

Yet, as he stepped out of the oak back doors, there were two figures waiting for him.

The exact two he did not want to see at the moment.

Kanda was spotting a casual smirk on his face as cobalt blue eyes met his, but this time, Allen found no pleasure in the sight. There was merely a hollow throbbing somewhere in his chest and a strange urge to chuckle in all his bitterness.

“Che. You are finally out.” Kanda told him, dark sapphire eyes appearing dewy and twinkling under the bright hall lights.

And Allen only stared back at the older male as he quietly sucked in a deep breath.

“Yeah.”

...

                                                                                                                                                   

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anddd I guess you can see that the story is coming to an end soon. See ya next time.


	11. Chapter 11

“Thank you for coming, Kanda,” Allen decided to say simply as he took yet another step forward towards the pair standing side by side right beside the backdoors. They were so close that Allen did not have a wisp of chance to escape without confronting them, sadly speaking. Silver eyes then refused to look at the shorter of the two, focused solely on the only one he _did_ invite.

“Hn,” Kanda just grunted. “It was not a bad play.”

Typically, Allen would have raised an eyebrow and teased the other with a ‘is that a compliment?’ – but in that moment, all he could do was stare back stoically at the raven haired.

“Of course,” the snowy haired boy stated dryly.

Kanda seemed to scowl at his toneless reply; Allen only continued boring his gaze at the long haired.

Then, a new voice spoke up.

“You really played well, Allen-kun,” Alma commended from the side, offering him a smile.

And uncharacteristically, the white haired could not find it in himself to smile back. He merely stared back into black eyes, which were fidgeting after another moment of tension.

Allen _-kun_ huh? So the Alma boy was from Japan, too?

How utterly _unpredictable_.

There was abruptly an awkward cough, and the Alma was suddenly turning to give Kanda a sheepish smile. Allen’s face was collected into a perfect poker face as he watched the two interact.

“Yuu. I will go first.” Alma told the raven haired, a tad uneasily.

“Che.”

And then, with yet another quick smile thrown his way, the black haired was rushing off with loud footsteps echoing on the marble floor.

It was soon just him and Kanda, and Allen found himself relaxing just a bit.

But the relief was short lived.

“Oi. What’s wrong with you?” Kanda made no hesitation in interrogating him.

“Nothing,” Allen replied quickly, tone clipped. His chest felt tight, uncomfortable. Like there was an impending blade hanging over his head.

Kanda made to speak, but then there was suddenly a loud commotion starting at their backs. The crowd of performers were beginning to disperse from the backdoors.

There was suddenly a hand gripping his right forearm, pulling platinum eyes wide as Allen found himself rapidly dragged towards the exit of the building before he realized it.

“What the – _Kanda_!” Allen growled as he tried to resist.

“Shut up. You owe me an explanation.” The older boy only continued pulling him along.

Those words set something off inside Allen.

With a furious hiss, the white haired stomped his feet on the ground to keep his position and wrenched hard from the grasp over his hand. Kanda’s face snapped to his in annoyance when their hands lost contact.

“ _I_ owe _you_ an explanation?” Allen repeated in stark disbelief, as they stood right outside of the building doors. There was crowd everywhere from the retreating audiences, and their little situation was lost amidst the commotion. “ _You_ are the one who owes _me_ one!”

Dark sapphire eyes widened slightly at him, before Kanda was giving him a menacing glare.

“I owe you nothing.” The raven haired spoke through gritted teeth. “ _You_ should be explaining to me what you are trying to play at after inviting me over.”

Allen scoffed.

“Play at?” The white haired reiterated once more in stupor. Tears threatened to burn in his eyes, and Allen did his damnedest not to tell them fall. He focused on his argument instead of his rage. “You are the one playing mind games. I invited you, not your _friend_.”

Allen realized his slip a moment too late, but made no attempts to take them back.

Kanda’s face was suddenly solemn, dark, and was that – confusion?

“What’s wrong with having one more person attending the damn recital?” the older boy demanded with a deep frown.

The snowy haired barked out a sharp note of discontent, unconsciously rolling his eyes.

“Right. _Nothing._ ” Allen uttered in frustration. “Absolutely nothing.”

Kanda growled venomously. “Stop with the sarcasm.”

The white haired quirked an eyebrow at the long haired male, clad neatly into a blue formal shirt and black pants that day. It was a somewhat unusual appearance, but Allen could care less in his mental state.

“What makes you think it’s sarcasm? Maybe I am being honest,” Allen sneered.

Kanda glowered harder at him. “Obviously because your face and words don’t match, idiot.”

Allen gritted his teeth before collecting his expression and turning to look seriously into deep sapphire eyes.

“Fine. I am telling you that it is nothing. Absolutely nothing. Will that do?”

The older boy only scowled more at him. Allen thought that it was about time for Kanda to let it drop and revert back to his cool and uncaring attitude already, yet the long haired male was swiftly stepping closer to him.

Allen reeled back in shock when a palm was unexpectedly pushed up to his forehead.

“Are you sick?”

For a long moment, words were lost on Allen. The little contact was sending all sorts of emotions gushing through him, both the bad and the good.

 “Your temperate is slightly higher than normal,” Kanda then started reasoning in a solemn voice.

Allen’s heart tightened.

“… Stop it.”

“What?”

“I said – stop it!” Allen’s voice cracked as he pushed the other’s hand away from his face. He suddenly could no longer stop the tears welling up in his eye sockets.

“Stop being so… _nice_ to me when you already have a –“He stopped there, breath hitching.

Because that was it, was it not? Despite all his fierce and cold demeanor on the surface, Kanda was apparently just someone too nice for his own good. Nice. And fucking _dense_.

“Have a what?”

“Forget it. As you said, I am not feeling well,” Allen said in a low voice, teeth gritted. “Just leave me alone for a while now.”

“Have a what?”

“It’s nothing. You should go. Alma just left. He might be waiting for you.”

“ _Have a what?_ ” Kanda’s voice refused to be ignored further, dropping to a dangerously grave tone.

And Allen growled menacingly as silver eyes turned up in a sharp glare at Kanda.

Kanda only glared back in challenge.

How dare he! Was he going to force him to say it? Fine!

“A _boyfriend_ , Kanda,” Allen hissed, on edge and vicious. He ignored how dark sapphire eyes suddenly widened into perfect circles. “It might have been self-delusion on my part but – you should know the lines when you are already –“

“Baka moyashi!” Kanda abruptly spat at him, all hostile. Allen cringed back in shock. “Who the _hell_ are you talking about? Since when did I get a _boyfriend_?”

Silver eyes only blinked in stupor up at the taller male.

They were silent for a good moment, their loud argument seemingly lost in the too busy crowd. Then again, it might be that the both of them were too engrossed within themselves to notice anything else.

Allen’s heartbeat slowed painfully.

“… Alma…” the name left Allen’s uncertainly, more air than words.

Dark sapphire eyes narrowed down at him.

“He’s just a childhood friend, moyashi. And then we are in the same Kendo team now.”

Allen had to swallow thickly, trying not to get false hopes up.

“But you came with _him_. Even though I only invited you.” Allen stated bluntly. “Isn’t that a show of…” No, Allen could not find it in himself to continue his sentence.

There was a low, incoherent growl.

“We were supposed to be having a kendo session today,” Kanda then told him in an annoyed tone. “Alma’s our team leader, so I had to tell him. When I told him, he said he would cancel the session altogether since he wants to see what event it was that was making me skip kendo for the first time ever.”

Then, all of a sudden, Kanda snapped his mouth shut audibly. The white haired merely stared carefully at the other, who was abruptly looking like he had said something he should not have. After a beat, Kanda went on with a more factual tone.

“I didn’t think it was such a big deal for him to come and watch a performance. You met him before too.”

Allen had to swallow hard.

A wave of embarrassment was quickly rising up within him.

Was he the one who had blown things out of proportion?

Where had all the usual generosity and logic in his life gone?

Had he been too sensitive, or had it been Kanda who was being too insensitive?

He could not find words to reply.

There was another sigh from Kanda, and Allen had to look up furtively.

“Did I…” Kanda suddenly stalled, eyes flickering with an uncharacteristic doubt. Then, in a lower tone, reasserted. “We are just childhood friends.”

Allen only found himself swallowing more of his saliva in silence, as he gingerly nodded.

There was another moment of awkward silence, before Kanda broke it.

“Che. Is that why you are so mad and teary-eyed?”

“… Shut up,” Allen muttered under his breath. “You could have at least warned me that someone else was coming.”

“As I said, I didn’t think it was anything worth mentioning.” Kanda growled back.

“Yes. Because insensitivity is in your blood,” Allen retorted snidely.

They fell into silence again after that exchange. And Allen tried not to feel too conscious of the obvious stare Kanda was fixing on his face, or the fact that he might have seriously overreacted. With his anger gone, all that was left was a pulsing urge to dig a hole and hide himself in.

Although. There was a nagging question turning around in his head.

 _Why_ was Kanda taking the effort to explain things to him?

If he was going to be an insensitive bastard, he might as well play that role to the end…

A bubble of hope was slowly reforming within his chest, and Allen tried to resist it.

He did not want a repetition of the cycle of hoping and being let down before he could do anything.

And then there was suddenly a harsh, but melodious chuckle coming from the raven haired male before him. Allen froze up at the foreign sound as his head shot up to watch a faint smirk draw Kanda’s features. Deep sapphire eyes looked at him in an almost tender look, and Allen had to remind himself not to _think._

“Does this mean you like me, moyashi?”

Allen’s heart did a somersault and an instantaneous heat burned his cheeks.

“I-I-I –“ Allen quickly shut his mouth at the series of stutters that refused to form a word. Again, another soft amused sound came from before him. The snowy haired only scowled at the taller for the mocking, before releasing the only words he could think of –

“As if it’s not already obvious by now.”

There was a moment when Kanda’s face froze up rigidly, eyes looking sharply at him.

Then Kanda suddenly smiled. It was small, faint, and gentle, but it was _actually_ a smile. The sight sent his heart accelerating like never before, fire crackers starting in his ears, silver eyes flared wide. He was already beginning to hope again, in spite of himself. And he hated himself for that.

Slowly, Allen watched in disbelief as the raven haired male lifted a hand to tug his slightly long hair behind his right ear. His heart jumped at the small contact.

No, Allen was not blushing like a tomato. But the fire in his cheeks felt really too hot.

There was a low sigh coming from Kanda, but Allen somehow could not bear to look the other in the face anymore. His gaze darted quickly to Kanda’s neck. There was tension in the air, sizzling, taut. All the pain in his chest from before had suddenly vanished; and all that was left were the sounds of his own heartbeat, rapid and heavy.

“Che. Let’s get a drink.” Kanda finally spoke again after what felt like an eternity.

Silver eyes lifted hesitantly to meet ocean blue ones, and this time, Allen had to take a long moment to decide on a reply. Nevertheless, Kanda patiently stared at him with such a firm, sincere gaze that the white haired could not help but relent one more time.

He took a shaky breath to gather his courage before answering.

 “Okay.”


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hmmmm gotta say it had been hard writing these few deciding chapters :\ 
> 
> It's an unending edit @.@ I always find something wrong when i reread it. 
> 
> Well, I guess, for now I will leave it be.

“Thank you, please come again!” Lavi beamed brightly as he handed over a take-out drink to a customer.

The female blond customer gave him just a flirty wink, before grabbing her drink and heading out.

“You sure are popular with the ladies, Lavi,” Lenalee was suddenly saying from her position at the doors of the backroom, ticking off a stock take list from her clipboard.

Emerald eyes flicked to the younger and the redhead gave an awkward chuckle.

“That can only be good, and not bad, for business, can’t it?” he replied smoothly.

Violet eyes looked up briefly at him in amusement, before the girl gave a soft smile and nodded back at her clipboard.

“I suppose that’s true.”

“Well, do you need any help with the stock take? I don’t think there will be any more customers.” Lavi decided to offer.

And he was offering only because he was a helpful guy. It was absolutely not because he did not mind spending time around one olive haired lady. Well, okay. Maybe that was a reason too.

“Nope, you stay there. There’s a music recital today, so we might be getting more customers later.” Lenalee told him without meeting his gaze, thoroughly focused on reading something on her list.

“Oh… you sure are informed, Lena,” Lavi told the other, shrugging.

Lenalee merely chuckled, lifting her face to smile at him. “Allen’s in it, so obviously I know.”

The ruby haired male raised an eyebrow at the younger, and then found himself mumbling before he could think it through.

“You two sure don’t keep anything from each other huh.”

Lenalee paused with her pen on the clipboard, and the girl tilted her head to the side to look at him in confusion. Lavi noticed his slip and gave a big lazy grin before the long haired could respond.

“Which is awesome, of course. It must be nice to have such a close friend.”

The girl only gave another chuckle and answered.

“It _is_ nice to have a close friend.”

And then, as green eyes stared contemplatively at the younger, the doors to their café were suddenly pushed open. Lavi immediately straightened from his slouch against the counter and turned to face the entering customer – only to freeze.

Now, _that_ was a familiar face.

The same guy who came with Kanda Yuu on Sunday.

 “Hello. Can I have a hot cappuccino?” the black haired boy with purple highlights in his cropped hair asked only too politely, when he stopped before the counter.

Lavi smiled professionally at the customer, before nodding and keying in the orders.

“6.5 pounds, please.”

As the shorter male dug his pockets for payment, emerald eyes wandered briefly backwards to lock with amethyst ones. Lenalee did not look amused in the slightest.

And Lavi only sighed to himself and gave the girl a mild shake in his head, trying to convey that she should not think too much. It was Allen’s personal issue, after all. But the girl’s eyes just hardened a tad, before she turned away, focusing on her paper for two seconds longer, before slipping into the backroom.

“I will pack now,” came the declaration as Lavi turned back in time to receive a card from the customer.

“Yep,” the redhead echoed under his breath as he concentrated on processing the payment.

He tried to squash down the irritation in his chest.

.

.

.

It was silent.

Under the street lights, Allen walked with Kanda amidst a nearly empty road to their usual café.

Their eyes met every so often, before both would suddenly avert them upon contact.

Allen cleared his throat loudly as they continued strolling, resisting a mild frown, and all he could hear from the long haired was a loud click of tongue.

Okay.

It was kind of awkward.

“Hey –“ “Oi.”

Silver eyes locked with midnight ones again, and Allen gingerly, lifted an eyebrow.

“Tch. What,” Kanda grunted a reply first, looking sulky as ever.

Allen gave a small smile before continuing.

“I wanted to say I am sorry for having jumped to conclusions so quickly.”

Kanda gave him a hard look, before looking away, hands subtly tucking into his pants.

“Not really.”

The snowy haired boy gave a snort at the inexpressive answer, before sighing.

“What did you want to say?”

Kanda did not look at him as he spoke after a beat of pause.

“What do you like about me?”

Allen cringed almost immediately, a hot shot of blood gushing to warm his face.

“W-w-what sort of stupid question is that!” he cried, more than indignant.

“Che. Just answer the damn question.”

Allen only blushed harder as he heard his blood ring in his ears. For one good, long moment, the younger could not think up an appropriate response. He only wanted to dig a hole and hide himself.

When the older finally growled at him, annoyed, Allen shot a venomous glare at Kanda.

"What, looking for praises now?"

Kanda returned his glower, and went on to scoff at him icily.

"Who needs you to praise me? Just answer the damn question, baka."

Allen let out a sound of exasperation at the back of his throat.

“Then what do you want to me to say? _I don’t know_. I just - ” he sucked in unsteady breath. “likebeingaroundyou.”

Footsteps beside his halted against the cool night road. And Allen did his best not to cringe again at the sudden loud silence, as he too stopped on his feet.

“You don’t know?” came a cool query.

The white haired scowled to himself, darting a quick glance at Kanda’s face – which was looking bright-eyed at him, all of a sudden, for whatever reasons – before rushing to explain himself.

“I mean. You are a jerk, but you  _do_ have your good attributes. Yet. _But_. Just. Those are _not_  all why I – I – I – Anyway! I just feel different when it comes to you, okay? Let's just leave it at that!”

With that, Allen only smacked his lips shut and glowered hard at the ground, fighting the fire in his cheeks.

Seriously. He was so going to hit Kanda if the older boy did not give him a direct reply after _this_.

Then,

“I see.”

Silver eyes widened a tad in incredulity before Allen shot Kanda a look of irate disbelief.

“ _Really_. ‘I see’ is all you have to say?” he was hissing before he knew it.

But Kanda only picked up his steps again. Although – Allen’s heart skipped a beat – there was abruptly a hand grabbing his as he pulled him along.

“Yes.”

Allen groaned in frustration – because. _Damn it_.

Kanda was too good at it. Stringing him along.

He had a million complains, but he could not quite seem to make himself protest when that hand was holding his so firmly, so surely. Grudgingly, he let himself float in the moment, enjoying their slow steps towards the café.

That was, until they rounded a corner and stepped into sight of the familiar coffee house.

Allen froze up when they did.

Because.

Why was _Alma_ sitting right there at the singles’ seat, staring at them through the glass planes? 


	13. Chapter 13

Silence rung in his ears.

Something snapped inside him.

“Tch, what coincidence is this,” Kanda’s low mutter reached Allen’s eardrums, sounding too obviously edgy, but Allen was feeling unbelievably calm. Calm. And cold.

“Sure is.” He said simply.

Then, without waiting for a response, the white haired decided to slip his hand out from Kanda’s grasp.

And – Kanda let him.

Silver eyes turned to narrowed dark sapphire orbs, and Allen was staring the raven haired male firmly in the eyes.

“Kanda. He... never used to come here, did he?”

Kanda was scowling in a heartbeat.

“Moyashi, that’s not –“ “Nope.”

He gathered a breath and put effort into drawing a smile.

“I am not angry. I am not misunderstanding things. I just… need to think, is all.”

The older boy merely stared at him darkly.

Allen chuckled briefly, giving a quick glance in Alma’s way – whose black eyes darted away from his at the last second – before locking eyes with Kanda again.

“Let’s have that drink another day.”

Silence.

Allen waited.

“Tch. Whatever.”

He rolled his eyes at the answer, but finally turned to leave.  

.

.

.

That night, as he lumbered back into his room, Allen decided he would stop doing unnecessary things.

He needed some space to think.

He was kind of tired.

_**Will be sleeping in tomorrow** _

He texted Kanda that simple sentence, and turned off his phone.

.

.

.

And Monday rolled around before he expected it.

As he stepped into the classroom, it was their usual tutor who was at the helm of the barely filled classroom. It was still early. But.

Kanda was already there.

Movements slowing dramatically, Allen slipped into the seat right by the door and harrumphed a polite greeting as he set down his backpack.

“Good afternoon Kanda.”

“Hn.”

Allen’s eye twitched at the cold response - as if it was any other day, as if it was not the first time they are meeting since that night -, but the white haired kept silent.

He was the one who had declared that he needed time to think, after all.

Still, as they sat there in absolute silence, Kanda ignoring him just as Allen ignored the elder, annoyance abruptly flared in his chest.

Because.

Really?

Had it _really_ been that one-sided?

Thinking about it, _he_ initiated that Kanda helped him for their assignment. And _he_ invited Kanda to his recital.

After everything, if Allen really meant _something_ to the man, should it not be high time for Kanda to start something _first_?

It was not even like Kanda was _shy_. 

The snowy haired boy was promptly glaring at the white board behind the professor, clenching his fist as he tried to distract himself from the sudden urge to hit the stupid bastard. Sure. He was never one for violence. But the situation was downright infuriating him, once he really gave it a thought.

Unexpectedly, though, a stilted chuckle soon interrupted his furious thoughts, and silver eyes turned wryly to Kanda’s face. The other was giving him a smirk, which somehow pissed him off to no ends.

“Are _you_ glaring at the teacher?”

Allen only scowled, brain grudgingly recalling similar words he used on the other once.

“Shut up. Don’t talk to me.”

Okay. That was probably the most childish thing he had ever said in his eighteen years of life.

And predictably, Kanda only snorted at him through the nose, crossing his arms.

And Allen had enough. With a sharp intake of breath, Allen was up and heading for the other side of the classroom, where a few other kids were gathered in small numbers.

Really.

He was going to stop treating their Art class as only a means to see Kanda.

It was… unhealthy, he decided. He was definitely _not_  doing it because of Kanda.

So, despite the new, surprised, and perhaps wary, faces he was suddenly meeting, Allen only gave a big smile as he introduced himself in the fourth week of their class.

.

.

.

Things… went according to plan. In some ways.

But in some ways, they did not.

Oh, wait.

No, no. Allen never had a plan to begin with. Never.

Yet, Allen somehow liked to think that Kanda was beginning to be _jealous_. Maybe a little over the fact that there was suddenly a new presence around Allen, almost too keen and eager.

As for why he would think that –

Kanda was suddenly showing up at their café more frequent than normal.

According to Lenalee, the raven haired male still got his drink every morning. But, still, out of the blue, around evening, the long haired was reporting to the shop as well.

That was exactly the time when Allen was having a shift, when school was not too busy.

“So, you live alone, huh?” a tall guy by the name of Tyki Mikk asked him.

Tyki Mikk actually happened to be from the Art class that Kanda and Allen shared, whom Allen only started knowing since the start of the week. And let’s just say the other had been enthusiastically and openly _courting_ him since then, with Allen subtly _letting_ him.

Allen only smiled tightly around an answer as he prepared the customer’s drink of latte simultaneously.

“Yeah.”

“Cool. We can plan a stay over this weekend and have some fun,” Mikk told him, still leaning oh-so-casually against the counter, playing with his fingernails.

Allen’s eyes briefly caught a familiar glare from a distance, before he looked away with a sharp breath and pressed the system to trigger a customer’s sensor plate.

“We will see.” Allen said simply, before smiling a tad brighter at the female who came forward.

“Please enjoy your drink.”

Then, Allen quickly turned to the next order on queue and –

Oh.

Isn’t it an expresso.

“I will make sure it’s a pleasurable experience,” came Mikk’s all too smooth words, before Allen found a wink directed in his face.

Allen had to give a bark of amusement, before he raised an eyebrow.

“You should be careful with your wordings, Tyki.”

“I mean it.” The other then told him, all sultry.

And a part of Allen wanted to sigh in exasperation but –

There was one figure approaching. A too familiar one.

“Sounds interesting,” the words left Allen’s mouth almost on instinct and – for the hell of it, Allen decided to throw a wink back at the tanned male.

Okay.

So, he was overdoing it.

Mikk was suddenly staring back at him with way too sparkly golden hued eyes.

Allen could feel an impending doom.

“My house or yours?” came Mikk’s question, almost making Allen choke.

“Oi,” a sharp, indisputable voice cut in with a low baritone. Reluctantly, Allen turned to face the raven haired male whose face he could catch almost anywhere. “How do you run a business? I have been waiting half an hour for a drink.”

There was an angry rap on the counter and Allen only suppressed his urge to glare.

“Sir,” Allen let the word out in all his sarcasm. “I am pretty sure you’ve only waited for –“ A peer at the clock. “3 minutes.”

Kanda’s eyebrow ticked noticeably, and Allen had to bite his lips not to smirk.

It was kind of amusing, really.

“Whatever. I want it _now_.” Kanda growled.

And then – there was a burst of laughter.

Not from Allen, though.

Three pairs of eyes rotated to the side, where Lavi was suddenly snickering all too loudly.

Allen decided to scowl at the redhead, hating the fact that Lenalee was probably going to learn about the odd triangle by that night. That, and the fact that he was probably going to face some reprimands after it.

“Lavi, man the counter properly.” Allen muttered under his breath darkly.

The older boy choked audibly on his breath, before giving him an emerald eyed wink.

“Sure, I will man it properly _now_.”

Allen had to clench his fists hard to remind himself to smile. It probably was not a kind smile.

“Thank you.”

“You are welcome.” Lavi replied all too easily.

A snort came from Kanda, and Allen was abruptly reminded of the situation he had stuck himself into. So, turning his head back to Kanda, he gritted his teeth and barked out an order.

“You wait for it. It will be done in another five minutes.”

Then, turning to the tanned male, Allen spoke in a softer tone – probably a result of his sense of guilt building up rapidly inside his chest.

“Tyki. I will text you later. You are kind of, erm, interrupting my work.”

However, Mikk only gave him an incredulous, offended look.

“It’s Friday. Of course I am waiting for you. I will send you home.” Then, leaning in across the counter all the way to his ears, the black haired spoke in a husky voice, sending shivers up Allen’s spine. “ _I will be at the carpark. I can’t wait for our enjoyable time this weekend~”_

Allen was swallowing hard in nervousness, by the time the tanned male straightened up fluidly and walked out of the café.

An annoyed hiss interrupted his jumbled thoughts, and for one moment, Allen could not quite hide his sudden fear from Kanda’s intense stare. Fear that he had really, really overdone it.

“You are such an idiot,” came the sharp words not two seconds later.

Allen only bit his lips as he quickly proceeded to prepare Kanda’s drink.

Maybe.

 “Come over.”

Allen’s mind froze, and silver eyes morphed out from his blank stare at the brown droplets dripping from the coffee machine, to watch Kanda look at him almost cautiously.

“He knows where you live, right? You can… stay over at mine today.”

Allen’s heart gave a sharp, wincing stutter.

Now, did he want to take up Kanda's offer?

…

_Right._

The answer has always been clear as day.

For the hell of it - _finally._

_..._


	14. Chapter 14

“Rather than just _thinking_ , you’ve been all out avoiding me,” Kanda grunted annoyed just as Allen sat down on a velvet black couch in the older male’s living room. The raven haired male lived alone too, apparently.

Silver eyes darted to the side, as Allen tentatively leaned his body forward, elbows to knees, and muttered a reluctant reply.

“Not really.”

A scoff met his answer, and Kanda was plopping down beside him.

Then, before he could register what was really going on, Allen found a force pulling him backward – and his face was suddenly leaning onto a warm and firm chest, body jammed against Kanda’s side.

His heart begun thundering.

“… What are you doing?” he questioned skeptically.

The arm around his waist tightened the slightest, before the raven haired male released an irate sigh.

“Do you really not know?”

Allen frowned as he angled his head up – locking silver eyes with cobalt blue ones.

“No. I really don’t.” he said seriously. When his words were met with Kanda narrowing his eyes back at him, Allen went on with his heartfelt complain.

“You do _this_ after you happily ignored me for a week. Now, why should I know what you are doing?”

Kanda furrowed his eyebrows at him. Allen nearly missed the expression with how close their faces were.

“I didn’t ignore you. You were the one not showing up in the mornings these past few days.”

Allen let a little bitter smirk slip across his face.

“You really are stupid.”

“What the hell!” Kanda was definitely indignant.

The white haired boy sighed, averting his gaze. “I never had to help out at the shop that early in the morning, Kanda. I mean, if you even use your _common sense_ , you should realize that the shop only opens at six and there was hardly any point to help out for fifteen minutes and leave for class.”

Allen bit his lips.

Okay. There was _so_ no turning back this time around.

He was really putting himself out there already.

“So I haven’t been avoiding you. I just stopped doing some dumb things to get closer to you. But you. _You_ didn’t do anything either.”

And then Allen let his words hang in the air, eyes ducked. His pulse drummed a bit too unevenly.

“… So did you come to a conclusion after all that?’

Allen had to shoot a harsh glare at the older boy for the stoic reply, which almost pretended that Allen had not just confessed his most humiliating weakness ever.

“Kanda Yuu, you are seriously – “

Silver eyes suddenly flared.

His breath constricted in his chest.

 _Why_ was Kanda kissing him, _again_?

The lips touching his were soft, and they sparked a familiar tingle inside him. Compared to the first time, though, this time was much more chaste. There were no movements, just the solid press of lips against his as Kanda stared at him through hooded eyes. Nevertheless, that fact helped little in stopping the intense heat promptly rushing up his neck.

Kanda withdrew before Allen could react in a fit of embarrassment and indignity.

“You are stupid,” came the immediate accompanying insult.

“What. The. Hell!” Allen almost yelled in frustration, the gush of blood in his face fueling his rage all the quicker.

“Did you not know Art school has a café too?”

Allen found his thoughts pausing, silver eyes blinking dazedly as he tried to interpret the strange words being uttered to him. As part of the business planning he had done when he and Lenalee first set up the shop, he obviously knew that. But. Kanda was trying to imply something here, wasn’t he?

“So just answer the damn question, you idiot,” Kanda started to growl in obvious irritation. “Did you come to a conclusion or what?”

For one long moment, Allen could only stare blankly into the space under Kanda’s chin.

Then, the snowy haired boy found himself swallowing hard, edging his gaze nervously to Kanda’s face. Kanda's sharp eyes stared intensely at him, and Allen found himself taking a shaky breath.

“I haven’t.”

Kanda was abruptly sighing.

A palm cupped his face and Allen’s heart nearly stopped.

“If this is still about Alma, I really cannot say that I will change our friendship for you. I’ve known him since we were seven. But – “ Kanda’s eyes suddenly flickered, seemingly searching for something on Allen’s face. The younger tried to keep his expression absolutely neutral. “I can say I will be more careful from here on.”

Allen tried to repress his suddenly erratic breathing. Those words. They were a promise, weren't they?

“You are seriously telling me that,” Allen then decided to say, slowly, enunciating each word as he watched Kanda’s features carefully. The hand on his face gradually dropped to his shoulders.

“You seriously - ” Somehow, Allen felt a fire in his cheeks just thinking about saying the fateful word. So he chose another. "You seriously want to be with me?"

 Kanda cocked his head to one side, and gave him a mirthful smirk. It almost made him want to hit the older boy again.

“As if it’s not already obvious by now.”

Those were familiar words. At the back of his mind, Allen thought about feeling flattered that Kanda always seemed to be able to remember what he had said before. However, on the other side of his head, Allen briefly wondered if Kanda was just too dumb to think of something new.

A brief silence soon draped around them. And Allen let the seconds tick, watching with some amusement the reddening cheeks on Kanda’s pale face with each passing second, despite the cool expression the other tried to keep up.

However, soon, Allen could no longer resist the threatening smile on his lips.

There was that familiar bubble of jitters and warmth in his stomach.

And finally, finally, finally, Allen thought he could stop denying it.

If Kanda’s… heart was genuinely with him, he decided he could try to understand the friendship between Kanda and Alma.

Clutching a hand on Kanda’s right arm, the snowy haired boy lugged the long haired yet closer until their faces faced each other again. The ends of long ebony strands around Kanda's jaws tickled his chin.

Platinum eyes held deep sapphire ones with all his intense emotions for a moment, before Allen did the unthinkable.

He pressed his lips to Kanda’s, letting his eyes flutter shut.

 ... 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay they are finally together
> 
> On a last note: it's the last day of 2018!!
> 
> And just one last chapter to go~ I am kind of reluctant.  
> See ya soon


	15. Finale

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy new year

Raindrops was humming a low background noise in the distant, when Allen stepped into his and Kanda’s Art class for the first time since that fateful day.

Silver eyes locked immediately with dark sapphire orbs right by the door, and Allen glanced briefly to his feet to stop an impending urge to grin. However, before he could get a greeting out to his _boyfriend_ , his eyes drifted and caught sight of two impending figures that froze his smile.

Across the room, from his seat, Tyki Mikk was staring at him with what was doubtlessly a hard stare.

And then, in front of the class, one pair of familiar amber eyes was deadpanning at him as well.

Allen gulped down a breath at the simultaneous attention casted on him upon his mere entry, expression going rigid. His mind was a blank slate as he tried to force an innocent smile.

Until –

A hand took his across the table, and pulled him saliently into his chair before letting go.

Allen resisted a blush successfully, but nearly choked on air when he turned back to the front to notice one Cross Marian following their motions with sharp, observing eyes.

“You can just ignore him,” Kanda suddenly told him in a low voice.

Allen darted his gaze to the raven haired male, who went on in a more irritated tone, an ever present glare taking his face.

“He _will_ get it. If he doesn’t, I am going to make him get it.”

It was then that Allen realized belatedly that Kanda was worrying more about Tyki Mikk than Cross Marian. Which was, in his opinion, not reasonable at all.

“I know,” Allen answered in a low voice. “But _he’s_ not my topmost concern.”

Not with Cross there.

Kanda raised him an eyebrow in confusion, but was not given a chance to speak when their tutor Professor Tiedoll begun talking in a firm voice.

“Prof Marian is here to give back your first assignments,” the brown haired professor announced, one hand cajoling the red haired man away from his way too laid back position upon the chair behind the teacher’s table.

“Right,” Cross drawled, languidly standing up and throwing yet another meaningful glance in Allen’s way.

Allen decided to focus his sight on his table.

“I have graded your assignments. You will now be getting them back,” the maroon haired man declared, noisily fishing out a bundle of banded papers. “And then…”

There was a short pause.

“Allen Walker and Kanda Yuu. To my office later.”

Okay.

He was _so_ screwed.

.

.

.

The rain kept falling.

Lavi watched Lenalee wander around her duties absently, a mild frown dipping her forehead every now and then

As often happened, when it rained.

“You know,” Lavi decided to broach the topic lightly. “You really shouldn’t worry about Allen _this_ much.”

Violet eyes turned up from the washed cups the girl had been organizing on their shelf under the counter, before Lenalee gave him a small smile.

“I guess it became a habit,” the olive haired girl shrugged.

The redhead had to release a soft sound of disbelief.

“Then maybe you should tune it down a bit,” he said, somehow unable to quite hide the mild annoyance in his voice for the first time. He found himself rattling on before he could stop himself. “You worry about his relationship with Kanda Yuu. You worry about him spending too much time on the café instead of the piano. You worry about him _feeling down_ when it rains.”

Sucking in a deep breath, Lavi went on, trying to regain composure in his tone.

“You are not _really_ his mom, Lena. Even if you _are_ , Allen’s a strong lad. He will be fine. Look, didn’t he turn out okay with Kanda Yuu, anyhow?”

Lenalee chose that moment to close the cabinet, standing up to look at him with an odd and subtly angered gaze.

“Why are you so agitated? I am just worrying for my friend. It’s normal.”

The redhead bit his lips and looked away.

“And I am worrying for mine."

He could immediately feel a hard stare on the side of his face.

Then, before he could think of a follow-up topic to break the abruptly tense atmosphere he really had _not_ intended to create, the glass doors of the coffee shop were pushed open.

Well, wasn’t it timely.

“Hello,” Allen greeted them with a perfectly bright smile – which Lavi just _had_ to smile back at, despite a bugging resistance somewhere deep in his chest.

“Yo Al,” he answered, flickering his gaze to the long haired male subtly stalking behind the snowy haired boy with a closed wet umbrella. “And Yuu-chan.”

A sharp growl and a dead glare met his name-calling, and Allen was abruptly chuckling at – obviously - Kanda’s expression. It _was_ kind of entertaining to watch. But then – silver eyes suddenly flashed a dark look back at him, making him nearly gulp in fear.

Allen really could be such a devil, sometimes. Lavi wondered why Lena couldn’t quite see that.

“I will let it pass since I am in a good mood, but Lavi,” Allen told him in a low voice, as he neared their counter. “I agree with him that you should be calling him _Kanda_.”

A snort came from one Kanda Yuu.

“You say that when _you_ are pestering me to call me by my first name too.”

Allen was instantly glaring at the taller boy’s face.

“Hey. Aren’t I supposed to be different. _Besides,_ Alma call you by your first name too."

“That's because I call him by name _too_. It’s not like I call you – “

Brief silence.

“ _Yes?_ ” Allen’s voice was suddenly downright creepily _sweet_. “What do you _not_ call me, BaKanda?”

An annoyed growl came from the long haired male, before Kanda Yuu was directing an even _more_ intense glare in Lavi’s face. If it was an attempt to hide the flushed shade to his face, Lavi thought it was failing pretty badly. So, the redhead merely cocked an eyebrow cheekily.

“Expresso double shots.”

“Hey, _Yuu._ You haven’t answered me, you know.”

There was a loud click of tongue, before the raven haired turned to glower down his nose at Allen, all hints of embarrassment gone.

Lavi almost thought the two was going to head for the verbal firearms soon, as occurred only too violently over that weekend after they got together - which was really strange if you think about it, who ever started leveling up fights right after they become a couple? -, scaring some of their weak-hearted customers, but then –

“Woots!” Lenalee was gasping out loud.

Lavi had to sneak his eyes quickly away from the pair who was abruptly _kissing_.

Right in front of their faces.

The two came apart with a loud smooch, and it made him want to groan in frustration.

Damn it. 

Yet, as he watched Lenalee blush and cheer - and then blush and cheer some more - at the sight of the two’s intimate contact, something in Lavi’s chest slowly settled down.

Well.

As long as the girl did not truly hold _those kinds of feelings_ towards Allen, Lavi could live. He could wait.

For what? For an opportunity, obviously.

“Shut up moyashi.” Kanda Yuu’s voice was a low baritone. “Or I will make you.”

And Allen?

Lavi could not help laughing out loud, when he turned back to the snowy haired boy - only to see the boy flush a dark, dark, dark red in the face.

Definitely worse than Kanda's from before.

“You are blushing, Allen!”

Yep. He was _so_ not helping things.

.

.

.

\- End - 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's the last chapter! For the story. (If it could even be counted as one, lawl) 
> 
> Thanks for reading thus far. 
> 
> There's a few more omake & probably an epilogue. Cheers :)


	16. Cross Marian

Cross looked wryly at the two brats standing side by side in front of him.

He allowed the pin drop silence to hang, watching with mild amusement Allen’s smile that shifted ever slightly with each second. It was a familiar look – one that says the brat was expecting to be hit or sent on a mission impossible that would end with the kid pulling his hair out and overall, wrecked. It was always amusing to see the boy's fearful face after he received such punishment.

But you know what, contrary to popular belief, Cross was a professional tutor and he was not going to be doing things like abusing students. Not when he has his badge on. 

Although...

“So you are saying, you guys weren’t together when you did this _assignment_. But then now, two weeks later, you two are suddenly _together_.”

“Yes.”

The female-man was the one who replied, all stoic and bored.

An eyebrow ticked on his face.

“Oh, how convenient and fast, isn’t it?” Cross sneered.

He didn’t quite like this kid, his mind decided.

Too bold. Too carefree. 

Allen might get hurt.

“Yes.” Kanda Yuu repeated his reply again, in that utterly dry tone like he was reciting boring stage lines. It was ridiculous how little effort the raven haired was putting into in hiding his apathy.

The maroon haired man scowled slightly, but one white haired chose to cut in before he could snap.

“Yep!” Allen chimed, then chuckled in obvious nervousness “We have to thank your assignment for tying our fate.”

And Cross threw the brat an exasperated, irritated look.

So. The brat’s head over the heels, huh.

Drawing an appropriately leveled glare, Cross fixed his stare back on the taller kid and demanded in a harsh voice.

“Tell me this, brat. Are you a player?”

He definitely was, if he was kissing Allen _before_ they even got together. And to use the assignment as an excuse, that sly bastard. Cross was so going to expose him.

“I play Kendo.”

Cross felt his eye twitch again.

“Are you a Casanova?” he rephrased through clenched teeth.

“I don’t gamble.”

“Casino and Casanova are different things, you dimwit,” the red haired man finally growled, pissed that the guy was so obviously avoiding his question.

Kanda, however, just shrugged casually back at him.

He took a breath.

“How many lovers have you had?”

“None of your business.”

Okay. So, he was really not going to reply, was that it?

“Have you fucked before?”

Silence.

“What the fuck?” Kanda’s eyes seemed to draw back into reality, at last. Those dark eyes had seemed like they were drifting in their own world, seriously. A part of him felt offended. Yet, finally, now they were rapidly gaining fire at him.

Cross thought about feeling smug.

“So it’s a yes. I see…” Brown eyes turned back to Allen, and the snowy haired visibly recoiled back from his hard stare. “Look, kid. You sure about your choice? He’s fucked somebody before.”

He watched the kid grit his teeth in rage.

“You are the last person on earth who have a right to say something on that topic.”

He snorted.

“I am your legal guardian on paper, kid. I have a right to say _anything_.”

“It’s none of your business.” Allen growled.

Cross decided to ignore the brat.

“So, _Kanda Yuu_ , is it?”

Said teen only glowered at him in response.

“21 years old. Well, I guess that makes you an indisputably legally _legal_ adult and _maybe_ it’s acceptable to have a _fucking_ history. But guess what, Allen is eighteen. You leave him alone. Understand?”

“As he said, it’s none of your business.”

Oh? He straightened up a little in his armchair.

“Are you saying you want to fuck him?”

There was abruptly a simultaneous angry growl - from both Kanda and Allen.

Cross rolled his eyes but went on, casting a dark look at the older boy.

“Swear on your blood you won’t touch him until he’s twenty-one.”

“Cross,” Allen was the one who interjected, voice low and trembling. He could not tell whether embarrassment or anger was more dominant on the brat’s face. Maybe it was not the kind of conversation the kid had been expecting when he called them to his office. “This is… too… much…”

The maroon haired man only scoffed.

“Just shut up, kid. I am not talking to you.”

Fixing his serious stare back on one Kanda Yuu, Cross repeated his demand.

“Swear it.”

For one moment, he worried about whether the kid’s eyes were going to fall from glowering so hard and deathly at him. Then again, it was kind of entertaining to watch.

When a voice alas spoke up after all the intense glaring, though, it was not from Kanda Yuu.

“No.”

Amber eyes shot to the snowy haired boy, whose face was – unbelievably red.

“He gets to touch me when I want him to. And if I ever want him to _before_ I got to twenty-one, then it’s all due to your fantastic upbringing, _Uncle_.”

Cross almost gaped. Almost.

Then, he watched Allen grab Kanda’s hand, before pulling the older kid away from his office. The office door thudded shut after the two figures.

And for another moment, Cross could only stare blankly at the oak red door across him in disbelief.

Yet, when his mind spun around, he found a smirk spreading too quickly across his face.

“Huh. I sure taught him well.”

...


	17. Alma Karma

“Oi.”

He looked up from his phone screen, to smile at his childhood friend of 14 years.

“Hey, good morning Yuu.”

As always, the long haired just grunted back at his greeting as he plopped down on the floor beside him.

But there was something different today.

His friend’s navy eyes shifted a bit, and Kanda looked a tad… self-conscious, if that was the right word.

“What’s wrong?”

“Che. Nothing.” Yuu told him, irate lacing his words.

But Alma knew it was far from nothing. So, staring hard at the other, he waited.

It did not take long.

“I am skipping tomorrow.”

Black eyes blinked.

Wait, what?

A growl interrupted his shocked mind.

“Don’t look at me like my face fell off, baka.”

Alma blinked again, before trying to absorb his friend’s words that rung at the back of his head.

“You are… skipping? Why?”

Yuu never did.

Not when he had hurt his ankle when he was twelve.

Not when he had run a high fever when he was fifteen.

Not when he had overexerted himself - and ended up visiting a hospital - when he was seventeen.

What could be so serious?

“Did you hurt yourself?” he asked, worried.

The taller boy only scowled at him as he crossed his arms.

“Some idiot invited me to his concert. Of sorts.”

Alma’s eyes widened involuntarily.

“You are skipping _kendo_ for a _concert_ , seriously?!”

An angry grunt replied him – and – there was a small strange twist in his heart.

Just. Who was that lucky person?

His mind paused.

Huh? How did those words appear in his head?

“I will go with you,” he found himself saying without thinking.

Dark sapphire orbs turned to him, slightly bewildered.

“What about the session?”

Alma chuckled briefly, a strange nervousness crawling up his back.

“I will cancel it. I am really curious to see what performance is so good that you are going to skip kendo for it.” He paused a beat, cocking an eyebrow at his friend. “Isn’t this the first time you _ever_ did?”

Yuu just snorted at him darkly.

“I won’t know if it’s good or not.”

Alma grinned a bit.

“Leave it to me. Your best friend can help you evaluate it. You _know_ I learned some music when I was young.”

The taller male just rolled his eyes at him.

“Yeah right. Do whatever.”

.

.

.

Alma glanced at Yuu up and down.

“You are going there in _this_?”

“What the hell is wrong with this?” Yuu only growled at him.

The black haired only shook his head.

“You said it’s a concert.”

“Apparently, it’s a recital.”

“A _concert,_ ” Alma snapped, narrowing his eyes. “You don’t seriously go to one in a turtle-neck and jeans.”

A sharp, irritated sigh met his words.

“I don’t give a damn.”

“No can do,” Alma insisted. “Let’s go shopping for some proper attire.”

Yuu threw him yet another annoyed look.

“ _Shopping?_ ” the long haired hissed.

Alma shrugged. “Yes.”

“It’s already five.” Yuu told him in exasperation, in obvious desperation to escape.

And Alma peeked a glance at his phone.

“It’s only 16:54,” he said languidly. “Let’s go.”

An annoyed click of tongue answered him behind his back, as Alma led the way to the nearest mall without further ado. However, soon, he was also hearing loud tapping sounds.

Black eyes sneaked backward to watch Yuu frown at his phone screen, apparently messaging.

He had little doubt in his mind who he was texting.

And just a little, his heart squeezed.

.

.

.

Alma stared into uniquely colored silver eyes, across the large distance in the concert hall.

They stared back unmoving.

So, it’s him?

The same guy Yuu always described as a ‘moyashi’.

Well, Alma had to admit the kid do look a bit like one, what with his white hair and lithe build.

But.

Did Yuu seriously skipped kendo for this kid’s recital?

He stole a quick glance at Yuu, who was seated beside him, and spotted a faint smirk on his friend’s typically stoic expression. Again, something writhed in his chest.

Why was that?

An abrupt flow of music begun  – almost startling Alma from his reverie.

With two blinks, the black haired turned back to the white haired boy in the middle of the stage – who was actually playing one of his favorite pieces - and smiled to himself. Well.

He must just have been stunned out of his wits that Yuu skipped kendo.

.

.

.

“You really played well, Allen-kun,” Alma praised, after one snowy haired boy emerged from the backdoors and exchanged a quick greeting with Yuu.

Alma had actually been reluctant to leave the hall early, seriously. His ears were still sailing in the smooth music sounds that each of the talented players performed. But – that stupid Yuu insisted that he wanted to meet the moyashi to mock him.

But then, at his words – Alma nearly flinched at hard stare gazing right back at him in answer.

It was not quite hostile, but – it was somehow, unnerving. There was abruptly a tense weight on his shoulders. He fought back an awkward chuckle, and it ended up a strained cough.

Alma sneaked a glance at Yuu, and tentatively offered.

“Yuu. I will go first.”

His friend visibly frowned.

“Che.”

He could not get his feet to move faster as he left.

.

.

.

He didn’t know why.

He really didn’t.

But his steps gradually pulled him to the café Yuu brought him to that previous weekend.

Maybe Yuu will come here later, his mind thought absently.

Again, he almost felt startled at his own thoughts.

Because, hey. Even _if_ Yuu did go there, won’t his friend be with that Allen boy anyway?

He should probably keep his distance, since Allen did not seem pleased with his presence.

Although, he really had no idea when he had offended the white haired.

Frowning to himself for one second, Alma merely shook his head at the strange pressure rising up in his chest following his train of thoughts.

He must have been training so hard these days that his body was acting up.

His competition was coming in two weeks after all.

With that, Alma smiled lightly to himself as he pushed open the glass doors.

.

.

.

Alma was just gazing blankly into the dark night, when two familiar figures turned a corner and came into his sight. He failed in not noticing that – his breath hitched and for some reasons, he could not quite pry his eyes away from what he was seeing.

Was Yuu and Allen holding hands?

Their hands came apart just as he questioned his own eyes.

The two started talking.

Alma could only watch in stunned silence.

Yet, abruptly, he thought he found it hard to breathe.

Did he really train that hard yesterday?

A pair of silver eyes shot him – and Alma found himself avoiding the look in a rush.

He held his breath for a few seconds, before stealing another look.

Allen was turning to leave.

And with a deeply etched frown, Yuu stared at space for a good moment.

Alma stared at the long haired beyond the glass, who, after an eternity, rotated to look at him.

Their eyes met, and Yuu cocked an eyebrow at him.

Alma attempted a smile.

Yuu visibly sighed, before throwing a hand in the air – a wave of goodbye.

The black haired boy waved back immediately.

He watched Yuu leave, with just a throbbing ache in his chest.

And then.

A new train of thoughts hit him like a bullet train.

Wait.

He didn’t just think of Yuu that way… did he?


	18. Lenalee Lee

She was not that dense.

Ever since that day Lavi almost flared a temper at her for worrying too much over Allen, Lenalee had her own suspicions.

Like, perhaps, the redhead likes… her.

And immediately upon her thinking that, suddenly Lavi’s every action seemed way too obvious.

She wondered how she even missed it before.

The older boy would often stay back after his work to help her.

He would always reply instantaneously to her messages, even when she did not expect it. Especially not when it was Lavi’s hard-earned off day.

And last but not least, Lavi kind of smiles at her a bit too much.

Lenalee wanted to laugh at her density for so long.

So, lying on her bed, after getting off work, she pondered whether she should make the first move – if the older boy was too reluctant to make one. Because. Well, she could not say she was head over heels for the boy, but she did like Lavi.

Maybe they can start by learning more about each other, outside of work.

That might be a little hard, however. Since they were taking shifts with just the three of them…

The olive haired unlocked her phone and typed a quick message to Allen.

**_Will you be okay alone on Saturday?_ **

It was a good half an hour later that the snowy haired boy replied her. She almost fell asleep waiting.

Rubbing her eyes, the girl took up her phone again.

**_Sure. You and Lavi both taking an off?_ **

**_Maybe. I am going to invite him out._ **

**_Wait. WHAT???_ **

**_(grinning emoticon) I kind of thinks he likes me, so…_ **

**_… Lena. Are you sure you are not thinking too much?_ **

She paused at Allen’s question and almost smiled to herself.

**_Maybe, maybe not. I will find out. Thanks for tanking on Saturday! Potentially._ **

And then she watched Allen’s status change from ‘typing’ to online, for a long moment, before changing back to ‘typing’ again.

**_Guess what, you_ ** _might **be right. Kanda says he thinks Lavi has an interest in you too. Now he’s calling me stupid for not noticing it. (angry face)**_

**_Oh, he’s there? Help me say a hello then._ **

**_Yeah, but that’s not the point. You really are one of a kind, Lena. He’s the guy, you know._ **

**_Gee, thanks. I just don’t like waiting around. Now shoo. Enjoy sapping like romantics with your Kanda._ **

**_Lenalee!_ **

**_You are welcome._ **

And Allen left him on read after that, although Lenalee could swear the boy was probably snorting at her comment about right now.

Soon, she found herself opening the chat with one redhead.

Her heart drummed a little nervously in her chest, before the olive haired girl decided to go for it.

As Allen said, she was one of a kind, after all.

.

They met up that Saturday.

Lenalee decided to go for smart casual, nothing too girly – just simple and neat.

Lavi was already grinning at her, when she showed up emerging from the subway gates. And all of a sudden, she thought about feeling embarrassed. She had not quite given it much thoughts when she first asked him out, but now that they were face-to-face, it was a little intimidating.

“Hello,” she choked a bit on her greeting, darting her eyes.

She almost berated herself.

But Lavi was all laid back, somehow.

“Good morning, pretty. Thanks for inviting me.”

And she had to chuckle a bit, feeling a tad more at ease as she laid her eyes back on the taller.

“And thanks for the compliment. Should I be calling you handsome now?”

Lavi laughed.

“That might be nice. But we should go before the streets get crowded.”

And then, the redhead oh-so-casually threw her a wink, to which she could only smile while rolling her eyes. Quickly, with Lavi leading the way, they were soon heading for busy streets.

And.

Hey.

She really has a good feeling.

...


	19. Epilogue

“Just where the hell is it?” the phone Allen had set on the music script case of the grand piano buzzed with Kanda’s voice, edgy and bordering on rage.

Allen chuckled low to himself and casually replied, “Told you it’s on the seventh floor. Can’t be that hard to find a room, BaKanda?”

A hiss immediately shot back at him through his device and Allen only smiled as he airily played his fingers above the keyboard, practicing.

“Come on, music school can’t be that complicated. Or are you just dumb?”

A snarl ripped through the phone this time. “One more word and I will kill you.”

Allen smirked despite everything. “Well, to kill me, you’d gotta find your way here first.”

“Tch. When I _do,_ you are so dead.” The death threat was so prominent -

“Oho, I will be waiting.”

The line went off faster than lightning.

And Allen burst into laughter. His laugh resonated in the piano room 08-14 for a long while, before he whipped his head back to where his dear Lenalee – and Lavi, her official boyfriend now – were busy making last minute decorations to the late evening classroom.

“Thanks guys, really,” Allen said wholeheartedly, before he turned around fully in his piano seat to look at the final layout.  “Although, I wonder if this is a bit too much…”

Lenalee shot him a disdainful look. “What do you mean too much? You are proposing, for goodness’ sake. What can be more important?”

A large grin came from Lavi, who winked at him with his emerald eyes and gave him a thumbs up.

“I will be your best man.”

The snowy haired boy sighed, scratching his head in wonder of whether it got too big, too complicated.

“Thanks, Lavi, but you know that’s not really it. Lena really did exaggerate it. He’s graduating, so I am just ehem – just wanted to show him I want to be with him for the rest of my life.”

A loud, humiliating coo came from his two friends who had taken leave from their now-thriving coffee shop (their total manpower increased to six staff now) to ‘support’ his occasion, and Allen only could smack his palm to his face and shake his head in resignation.

Well. It was not like he was not thankful for the immense support.

Then, with quick fingers, Allen picked up his phone and typed a fast message to Kanda who was probably still wandering on the wrong floor.

“So, all done now?” he asked one last time, silver eyes seeking his friends’ expressions after one last look at the decorations.

“Yup,” Lenalee answered with a firm nod.

“All ready,” Lavi echoed, before adding a lament. “What a pity we can’t stay since this place is too small.”

Not really. He could only imagine the commotion that would be stirred up if Lavi would stay.

“Right, okay.”

Allen took a deep breath, and pressed send.

**_Actually, it’s on the eighth floor. 08-14._ **

The message reply came not two seconds later.

**_Fuck you_ **

And so Allen turned to the door, waiting with abated breath.

.

.

.

Kanda’s entry was impeccably loud.

He made sure of it.

A slam of the sliding ivory door against the hinges, with the poor wood left rattling from the impact.

He shot his best, damnedest, hardest, murderous glare at that darn moyashi, who dared to smile at him with the brightest, fakest smile Kanda had seen in forever.

“Hey Kanda.”

“You are dead.”

The beansprout merely cocked an eyebrow at him innocently.

“Why?”

Kanda’s left eye twitched.

“Don’t play dumb.” He snarled, straightening from his slightly bent-forward aggressive stance before the door. “What the fuck were you playing at, telling me a wrong floor number on purpose?”

He watched those ashen irises abruptly dart to the other side of the room for a moment, following the glance instinctively –

And his mind suddenly blanked out.

The fuck?

He heard the moyashi clearing his throat awkwardly from the piano seat, like there was an enormous embarrassment choking him, before the younger’s voice came timidly.

“Well… It was Lenalee’s idea to decorate… it…”

Kanda could feel a cold sheen of sweat on his palms.

It could not be. It better not be.

“I… I know it’s a bit too much, but erm, bear with it for today?”

Kanda could only look back at his lover with a horrified astonishment, every cell in his body shouting with vehement denial. His voice died somewhere in his throat.

Then, a pink tint flushed the bean sprout’s face minutely before Allen turned to his black and white keys, and started playing. Yes, playing the damn piano like it was not another blood chilling icing to the cake.

Kanda could only stand there, body frozen to the spot, listening like a statue, mind empty.

It had to be by the second verse, when Kanda realized with some acuteness that he had heard the song before. Some time ago. Somewhere.

As if reading his thoughts, Allen’s voice wandered through the music to murmur –

“Elgar’s _Salut d’Amour._ I played it during that first recital of mine you went to.”

Oh.

Allen chose that moment to peer sideways at him, silver eyes twinkling gold under the sheen of the slowly setting sun beyond the windows, fingers never stopping.

“It was an engagement present from Elgar to his wife.”

Kanda swallowed thickly as he felt the directions swerving dangerously.

It just could not be, right?

“Moyashi,” he finally managed to utter, tone solemn.

Their eyes met.

And surprisingly, Allen looked away first. Too quickly, in fact.

Kanda stared for a couple more seconds at his lover’s side profile, before he realized that it was futile to hope. It was too obvious already. His heart alternated between horrification and resignation.

“Let’s make it official,” Allen begun, just as the music notes slowly hummed towards the end. “You and me.”

And the music ended.

Steeling his guts, Kanda stepped into that ridiculously decorated classroom and walked until he was right beside his lover. He looked down; Allen continued to stare at his keys.

“I am twenty-four, and you are barely twenty-one.”

The moyashi finally looked up.

“There are people who get together when they are thirty, forty, fifty, sixty. Twenty won’t be any different. In fact, there are those who get together in their late teens too.”

The raven haired sighed, deciding to look to the distance despite the burn in his eyes from the sunlight.

“And you are rushing because?”

Allen was silent for a while, and Kanda dared not look.

“Because I am sure it has to be you.”

Kanda closed his eyes and reached a hand to hug his younger lover one-handedly against him. He tried not to feel anything, not the almost-hurt feelings emanating from Allen. He had to speak his piece.

“As I am you. But.” He paused, face scowling as he tried to gather his words. “Idiot. I am not ready.”

There was a pause of silence, followed by a soft chuckle from his arms before Allen pulled back.

Kanda was so very glad amusement was the only expression on his lover’s face.

“ _I_ am the younger one, and _you_ are not ready?”

Kanda scowled darker.

“Tch. With that hair of white, you are the old one for all everyone knows.”

“Hey! That’s unfair!”

He only snorted at the moyashi’s genuinely irritated response, but was taken aback when one of his hand was suddenly grabbed.

“And let’s get back on track before _both_ of us forget what is supposed to be really going on.”

Kanda had to smirk a bit at the words.

“Fine. I say, we _can_ get engaged, but we leave all the ‘official’ business to the future.”

The bean sprout spent another five seconds looking at him seriously, before nodding.

“Alright. But we get the rings.”

Kanda cocked an eyebrow, watching Allen smirk back at him lopsidedly.

“It can be your graduation present.”

And somehow, Kanda suddenly felt he knew what had motivated the albeit, random, proposal-of-sorts.

“Tch. Rings or not, it will only be you.” He declared with a mild frown.

And then, Kanda watched Allen beam brighter than the setting sun with a warmth in his chest, sure that he really did mean his words.

Happily, he also ignored the awfully, colorfully decorated piano classroom full of silks and balloons. There was also absolutely no heart shape behind his name splattered across the noticeboards.

Really.

.

.

.

END

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I guess Allen is just a romantic in this fic.  
> //  
> Thanks to those who had been following this fic, who read this fic, who liked this fic.  
> This is my first write-as-I-go fic which I ever completed lol, so thanks to da people who reviewed too.  
> Not the best plot, not the best flow, but it would be my pleasure if you liked it.  
> With this, I will mark this story as complete! (until, if ever, I find myself writing another something for this)  
> Cheers

**Author's Note:**

> Reviews/comments are appreciated


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